Mr Perfect
by FatalBeautyx3
Summary: I couldn't believe my ears. Who does he think he is? He's so arrogant, cocky, charming, gorgeous. Ugh. You just wait Mr. Perfect. I will make you beg for me on your knees.. You will be mine. All Human. It's based on the Korean movie "Seducing Mr. Perfect"
1. Crash

All Human, slightly OOC, but pretty much IC

**Disclaimer:** I'm definitely not Stephenie Meyer, she's amazing. And I don't own any of her characters. I just wanted to use the Twilight characters in my story. Thought I'd put this here and get it over with.

Enjoy and PLEASE review :)

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I never thought I'd find myself here, of all places. After all, summers in Washington were the bane of my childhood. And yet here I was, Seattle, Washington.

Maybe I needed a change of scenery. Maybe I wanted to grow up. Maybe I needed to escape. Whatever the reason may be, I finished college, got a huge job opportunity in Seattle, and moved away from warm and sunny Arizona. There was nothing there for me anymore. I was done with school, my mom and her husband Phil had moved to Florida, I didn't have very many close friends anyway (pathetic), and it didn't hurt that my long distance boyfriend lived in Washington.

Seven years ago I would've considered myself crazy moving to Seattle. But now, I'm 24, mature, and I'm ready to face new challenges.

Sure the move was hard, but I get to see my dad Charlie who lives near by, although the visits are usually awkward (I really do love that man though). And I suppose my new boss is a rare kind of crazy, but I've made some new friends and I have my loving boyfriend by my side. What more could a girl ask for? I actually like it here—I think.

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"Alice, I don't know what's going on with him lately."

I sighed to my best friend who was most likely already at the office and just as chipper as ever. Ever since I moved to Seattle she was my go-to girl. We were quite the opposites, for example I hated mornings and she was always a ball of energy—always, but we were still the best of friends. "Bellaaaaa! You're not giving me details!" Alice whined over the phone.

I was already late and I still needed to get some coffee. I was in serious need of caffeine. "Listen, I'm almost there I just need to stop by Starbucks or something. Can't you be patient for once?" I laughed exasperated.

"Only if you get me an iced latte with double shots, I already finished my first. And if you spare me one fact, I need something to keep me thinking until you get here." She replied with—I could only imagine—a smirk on her face.

"You crazy… you know I hate driving and talking on the phone," I muttered as I jerked my steering wheel, both proving my point and avoiding hitting the curb, "I'm uncoordinated as it is. Okay, one fact. Remember how we were supposed to meet for dinner last night? For our anniversary…"

"Yes, yes, go on," Alice urged me.

"Well, the jerk stood me up." I gritted my teeth angrily at the memory.

"He what!?" Alice shrieked into my ear.

"Yeah! I-" and at that moment I looked up but it was too late. There was no stopping. I was already headed to the car right in front of me. But I slammed on the brakes anyway, reflex reaction. The definite sound of my tires squealing and metal hitting metal wrung in my ears. "Dammit…" I groaned as I dropped my phone.

I got out of the car to observe the damage. My old Jetta wasn't too bad, just a dent and a few scratches. The silver Volvo I had hit had a minor dent, hardly noticeable but still something. _Stupid shiny Volvo owner…_

The owner stepped out and I was temporarily stunned. He was tall, not bulky but definitely muscled with chiseled features, and untidy bronze hair. He looked too professional to be a model or movie star, but he sure had the looks. His lips were pressed in a thin line of annoyance and that set off my mood again. Who does he think he is?

"Hey asshole, are you crazy? Why did you stop all of the sudden?" I walked up to him angrily.

He stopped short and pulled one side of his mouth up in a crooked grin. _Damn him!_ I thought vigorously. Did I have to hit someone so gorgeous? "What? What are you smirking for?" I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows in attempt to seem intimidating.

He took off his sunglasses and I was struck by stunning green eyes. I flinched slightly but recovered quickly. He looked at his bumper once and then back up at me. I blinked once waiting for his response. He laughed short and gestured to the light, which was red. My jaw dropped as I gaped up at the light, away from him, away from those piercing green eyes, afraid he could see right through me.

"Oh, no…" I groaned and covered my face. It was too late. My cheeks were already burning. I could feel the heat radiating from me from the embarrassment. Why do these things always happen to me? I glanced at my watch; it was already 8:32. _Les is going to kill me…_

"I'm so sorry, I-I didn't realize it was… Oh gosh… I" I stuttered looking frantically around at anywhere but his face.

He glanced down at his watch as well, "Look, I don't have time, I'm sorry. Do you have a business card?" his voice was stern yet silky like honey—it made me want to melt.

"My—sorry?" was my genius response. Great. He wanted my info. Now what? I'm still trying to pay off my loans and now this…

"I said your-" He started but the ring of my phone cut him off. Eager for an escape, I glanced back at my open car door and went to grab my phone. Glancing at the caller ID I saw it was an office number. I cringed and turned away from mystery man. I much preferred the wrath of Les than dealing with Mr. Gorgeous at the moment. I needed to think about the situation.

"Hello?" I answered reluctantly.

"Bella? Jeez, you'll pick up if I call from the office," I was both relieved and horrified to hear Alice's chiming voice, "What was that! You can't tell me your boyfriend stood you up on your anniversary and hang up on me!" Alice's voice blared through my speaker phone. I quickly turned down the volume, almost dropping my phone twice. Mystery man groaned and threw up his hands in frustration.

"Look Alice, now's not the time. I'm sort of in a situation. Can I call you back?" I asked turning my back to mystery man.

"Now's not the time? Come on Bella. Is this some kind of joke?" Alice laughed.

"No look I'll-" I started but got cut off. My phone was now out of my hand and I instinctively looked at the ground, thinking I dropped it. Hesitantly I turned around and sure enough mystery man was programming my number into his phone. "Hey look," I said reaching for my phone but he pulled away too quickly.

"Give me my phone!" I whined childishly. He smirked again and snapped a picture of me with his phone. "Wh-what was that for? I said give me my phone back now! Please."

Seriously, who was this guy? I went back to my car and fumbled through my purse to pull out a business card from my wallet, anything to get him to delete that picture. I was the opposite of photogenic. I sighed handing him my card, "Here, my business card."

He put his phone away and handed me my phone back, trading for my card. He glanced at it once and his smirk turned into a full blown gorgeous crooked smile. I resisted the urge to punch out those pretty straight white teeth. "Now can you please, _please_, just delete that picture? You have my cell number, work number, e-mail. What would you possibly need that picture for anyway?" I laughed uneasily.

"Nice meeting you Ms. Swan," He flashed a smile at me and put on his sunglasses, turning back to climb into his car.

"Hey, hey wait a minute! Come back!" I exclaimed but his car sped off with a quiet purr.

I stood there in the street, shocked, dazzled, but mostly angry. "Jerk," I muttered climbing back into my car.


	2. Assistant?

"Shit, shit, shit," I ran to the elevator, hitting the up button fifteen times, nearly spilling the coffees in my hand.

I tapped my foot impatiently, receiving strange looks from the guy next to me. The quiet ding signaling the arrival of an elevator soon followed and I quickly dodged inside nearly running into a wall of people trying to leave. "Sorry, pardon me," I smiled weakly, squeezing to fit myself in.

"Bella! Bella! Wait up!" Alice's voice chirped from behind.

I rolled my eyes and turned around to see a mess of dark spikes in my face. "Whoa, good morning to you, too," I mumbled.

"Thank you," Alice replied grabbing her iced latte and proceeding to take a sip, "Took you long enough, what's up?"

"Ugh, nothing," I waved my hand nonchalantly while Alice glared up at me, "Okay, okay, I'll tell you later. Is Les pissed?"

Alice shrugged straightening my skirt for me, "I told you that pencil skirt would look hot on you. And he was asking everyone where you were, but I covered for you," She winked at me, "He's on crazed-Les-mode, he's so high-strung today, something big must be going on!" She whispered excitedly.

"Hmm. Wonder what's got a stick up his ass this time," I muttered.

"Didn't you hear?" Jessica Stanley, AKA the annoying secretary, interrupted. She was obviously eavesdropping, hoping to hear some good gossip or rumors she could spread around the office. She was always the first with the scoop, which was both convenient and annoying. "Onyx Corporation's branch president from the Chicago headquarters just came in today!" Jessica continued with wide eyes.

"So what, does he have some new crazy gadget he wants to release or something?" Alice scoffed, clearly bored. The elevator opened to my floor and we all exited.

"I don't know. No one knows! But there's a lot of hype surrounding this guy," Jessica frantically followed us to my office. She loves the attention.

"Oh really, did he commit a murder?" Alice gasped, feigning shock, as she perched herself on my desk.

Jessica rolled her eyes, "No, would you just listen?"

"Okay Jessica, shoot," I sighed arranging the mess of papers strewn across my desk.

Looking satisfied, Jessica smiled and continued, "Well for starters he's really smart and charming. Let's see, he's a Harvard graduate, and everyone says he is CEO potential, he's still pretty young. Not to mention, he has a _killer_ body, and smile, and face…"

"Knock, knock! Swan, follow me," Les barged into my office. Surprisingly, he didn't seem mad, just skittish. I got up and shrugged apologetically to Jessica. Alice looked at Jessica and shot me a seething glare. I mouthed "sorry" to her and followed Les who was already half way down the hall. I gazed at him suspiciously—he only used his quick walk when he was heading to something important, or whenever there was free food around.

We walked into the former director's office and I noticed there was a change of furniture and a new name plate on the desk. The new occupant had his back towards us, looking out the window and talking on his phone. I squinted at the back of his head, thinking that if I stared at it long enough he would turn around. There was something familiar about him…

"No, no, thank you. Bye," He said smoothly to whoever was on the other line. Immediately I dropped my head and squeezed my eyes shut. _No, no, no!_ But there was no denying it. I could never forget _that_ voice.

"Sorry to interrupt Mr. Cullen, but this is Isabella Swan," Les said gruffly nudging me with his foot. I put on a plastic smile and looked up politely.

"Please, call me Bella," I said softly as I shook his hand.

"Bella, it was nice meeting you this morning. I'm Edward Cullen," He already had that stupid crooked grin on his face.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Cullen is the Chicago headquarters' branch president. He has moved over here to Seattle for the mean time to work on a big project. Now, Ms. Swan is from the marketing department. She is quite adept, and I think you will find her to be an excellent assistant." Les said patting me on the back. I shot a horrified look at him, "Assistant?!" I mouthed quietly.

Three years of busting my ass at Onyx and I get to be this guy's _assistant_? Les simply gave me his infamous "do not question me" look. Edward chuckled and rifled through some papers on his desk. "Will Ms. Swan be moving to an office closer to mine? We will be working rather closely on the project and I will be requiring her _assistance_ quite often," He remarked, emphasizing "assistance".

My lips tightened and my eyes narrowed at him which only spurred him to more laughter. "Uh- I suppose, um," Les glanced back and forth between Edward and I, sensing something obvious, "Whatever you believe will create a better working environment," Les compromised.

"I suppose we'll leave the choice to Ms. Swan," Edward said leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed and giving me a smirk.

"I'm fine in my current office. Thank you," I tried to alleviate the bitterness from my voice by including a polite interjection at the end.

"Very well, it's settled then," Edward smiled up at Les and winked at me, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some phone calls to make."

"Yes, sir," Les nodded and pulled me out of the room.

As soon as the door was shut Les turned to eye me suspiciously, "You've met him before?"

I suddenly became interested in the carpet and replied, "Sort of. But why am _I_ his assistant?" My mood shifted as I glared up at Les, "You couldn't appoint the job to some intern, or maybe you should've promoted Jessica," I scoffed, "She would _love_ to be Mr. Cullen's assistant."

Les sighed, rubbing his bald spot, and then pointed straight at me, "You better not ruin this. He can bring nothing but success for Onyx, especially the branch here in Seattle," Les said sternly, "And besides, _I_ didn't pick you. I know I don't say this very often, but you're a vital part of the marketing department. And I _did_ suggest a lowly intern."

"Okay, than why-"

"_He_ picked _you_." Les pointed at me again and walked away.

I stood there with my jaw on the floor, staring at Les as he walked towards his office. My shock turned to anger, "Fine! But I better get a raise!" I yelled after him.

Pondering my situation, I sulked back to my office. The door was closed with a purple sticky note from my desk stuck on it. _At least Jessica is gone_,I thought as I removed the note from my door. I could tell from the neat swirly handwriting it was from Alice.

"_Went back to my office, Alex was looking for me. Who does he think he is my boss ;) CALL ME ASAP!!!"_

I couldn't help but smile. Alice had that effect on people. She was perfect for her job. She had it good over at the public relations end of the corporation. Alex, her boss, was so easy going and sociable—pretty much the exact opposite of Les—he was more of a friend than a boss, really. And her glamorous PR job allowed her to do all the fun stuff like plan and host promotional parties, meet tons of fabulous celebrities and business men, plus all of the free gifts and drinks that came along with it. I never resented her for her luck. She has always been loyal and the absolute best friend a girl could ask for.

I walked over to my desk and slumped into my chair. I knew I couldn't avoid calling Alice for forever, but I needed a moment to collect my thoughts. If I was going to allow that girl to squeeze every little detail about my new boss and my stupid boy troubles, I would definitely need to pop a few aspirins.


	3. Working for the Devil

"Waaaait, now let me get this straight," Alice's questioned, probably clutching the phone to her face, "You're saying he hasn't answered your calls, or your e-mails, you've left him countless voicemails, and you haven't had contact with him for a few days. Is that correct?" Alice inquired curiously.

I sighed, both at Alice and at my predicament, "Yes, for the millionth time that is correct."

"Well _why_ in the world have you not gone over to his apartment?" Alice fumed, "What if he was brutally murdered, or abducted by aliens, or worse, what if he's cheating on you!"

"Alice," I laughed uneasily, "Stop being so melodramatic. I mean maybe he's just swamped from work. Or maybe he's on a business trip—"

"Hah!" She yelped, "Trip-shmip. If he was a good boyfriend, than he would've told you about it, so stop making excuses."

I resisted the urge to savagely hit myself in the head multiple times. She was right. And the problem was—I didn't want her to be right. I wanted to keep my maybe false but safe conclusion that my boyfriend was just busy. Just overloaded with work. Just not paying any attention to me…

"Okay," Alice sighed, "I can tell you don't want to talk about your sorry excuse for a boyfriend anymore,"

"Hey don't talk about Ja—"

"Bella! Next subject, so what did Les want anyway?" She barked authoritatively.

"Sheesh Miss Sensitive," I grumbled, "Remember the branch president or whatever Jess was telling us about?"

"Sure,"

"Well, she forgot to mention he's a completely arrogant jerk," I seethed.

"Hmm. I'm sensing some bitterness,"

"Hah," I scoffed, "That's one way to put it. Oh yeah, _and_ he's my new boss."

Alice paused, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm his assistant," I spat out the last word.

"No…"

"Oh, it gets better. He just happens to be the guy I hit this morning."

"You didn't tell me about that!" Alice shrieked, "Oh screw this, I'm coming down."

"Alice no you're—" I was cut off by the sound of the dial tone. Exasperated, I hung up and slumped down on my desk, covering my head with my arms. Could a human being die from emotional overload? I felt like I was about to. I was tired of getting dumped and ditched by boys my whole life. I thought Jake was different. We had such a connection; he was like my best friend. Maybe I was born to be constantly rejected by men. And to make matters worse, there was a new man in my life, and not in a good way. I wondered why he would've handpicked me to be his assistant…

"Ms. Swan," the irritated silky voice interrupted my inner turmoil. Speak of the devil.

"Yes?" I straightened up and tried my best to look pleasant. He eyed me with a look of half pity and half amusement. I couldn't quite tell, but it looked like he let out a small chuckle.

"What are you doing lying around? I need you to review those files I just sent you and have a report on my desk by noon," he said sternly. He was kind of cute when he was serious. _Stop!_ I internally slapped myself.

"Yes sir, right away," I replied, turning towards my computer. This time I did hear his chuckle and glanced at him curiously. Maybe he picked me because he saw something in me, maybe he—

"Noon. Sharp. It better be there, or else," He asserted firmly. His eyebrows were pulled in critically and his lips were in a tight line. I simply nodded in response, than he was gone. Or maybe he picked me so that he could inflict some kind of vengeful torture on me for denting his car.

"Someone's moody…" I muttered lowly.

"Someone won't be moody if you spill. Now," Alice remarked from my door.

I jumped slightly in my seat. How did she get down here so fast? Oh wait—this is Alice we're talking about. She would do anything for gossip and to distract her from work. "Doesn't anyone ever knock anymore?" I complained.

"So who was the Mr. Cutie that was just here? I've never seen him before," Alice beamed, placing herself in one of my chairs.

"_That_ was my new boss," I rolled my eyes.

Alice's wind chime laugh filled the air. "No way… No way!" she exclaimed between laughs. I simply gave her a meaningful look.

"Oh, Bella, now I know why you're so bitter," Alice frowned playfully, "Your boss is smoking but you've already got a boyfriend!"

"Alice!" I cried out, hurling my pen at her. Thanks to my lack of any athletic ability and terrible hand-eye coordination, I didn't gauge out her eyes like I had initially planned. The pen missed her by nearly a foot.

"Alright, alright, but I mean, you hit him this morning? Why am I not surprised," Alice giggled.

"I blame you," I interjected.

"Fine, whatever, but how awkward is that? Hitting your boss before you even knew he was your boss. Only you Bella, only you," Alice sighed shaking her head.

"Thanks," I replied sarcastically. The door opened abruptly and I was met by those glorious green eyes again. Alice immediately perked up and put on her flirty face, earning her a dazzling smile from Edward. How does she do that?

Instead of a smile, Edward gave me a hostile gaze, "Change of plans Ms. Swan, I need that report by 11."

"But sir," I stuttered, "It's almost 10 right now. You don't expect—"

"What? Is that too much work for you?" He replied with that familiar snide tone in his voice. That got my blood boiling.

"No, not at all—expect it on your desk no later than 11." I retorted with a little too much vigor.

He smirked at me, "That's better. Think you can handle this job? You're working under the best, so I expect nothing less."

I smiled back viciously, "Well I hope so. Don't you think I can handle this job? I mean, you did pick me out of _everyone_ else, right?"

His green eyes glinted for just a second. "Like I said, Ms. Swan, 11—that report better be flawless," He remarked as he backed out of the room.

I winked at him just before he shut the door a little too hard. Having just witnessed the entire exchange, Alice sat silently, her jaw slack, baffled. I was feeling a new high. I had never been so bold with anyone like that before, let alone my boss. Usually, the quiet submissive Bella did whatever she was told, no display of attitudes, arguing, or talking back. I liked this new Bella.

Alice whistled lowly, "Wow, I've never seen this side of you before! You were feisty! And he's definitely feisty, with really nice hair. I like…"

_His hair?_ I thought, _Did you not see his eyes?_ Although most of his outward features were more than desirable—too bad he was a conceited, hard to read, cocky jerk.

I shrugged, continuing my work. "You know, I sensed some chemistry between you two," Alice commented slyly.

"Stop making things up," I mumbled, trying to concentrate on finishing the report.

"I'm not!" Alice exclaimed. She thinks she's some kind of amazing matchmaker. She's delusional. Alice just stared at me, waiting for some sort of response.

"If you don't want him, I'll take him," she heartily suggested.

"Hah, you can have him!" I snorted. Alice gave me a disbelieving look. "What," I sighed, "I'm being honest!" I didn't want anything to do with him. Or those green eyes. Or that stupid crooked grin. I shook the image of him out of my head and turned to the task at hand. First day on the job and he was already a slave driver.


	4. Advice

**Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been really busy this weekend! I'm already working on the next chapter though, I'm just as eager to write this story as you all are to read it :)**

**And thank you so much for all the feedback and reviews, it motivates me to write more! I love cocky Edward, so please continue ...**

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Alice and I headed towards the elevators, finally done with work, tossing out our seventh cups of coffee, and taking turns whining about our day. Jessica stopped Alice to give her a message and I waited patiently for her to be finished. Mike Newton, a much too eager friend from finance, came up to me with a wide grin. "Hey Bella," Mike waved enthusiastically, "I have those financial reports you wanted. I know you said you didn't need them until the end of the week, but I had extra time today." He grinned proudly with the folders extended to me.

"Oh," I enthused, "Thanks, Mike! I owe you big time." I gave him a warm smile. "Um, can you just set them on my desk? I'll look at them tomorrow."

"Sure thing, Bella" Mike winked at me and started towards my office. He stopped in his tracks and turned back around. I quickly tried to hide the annoyance creeping up my face, good thing Mike wasn't too perceptive—I honestly didn't want to hurt his feelings. "Hey, isn't your birthday next week?" He questioned suspiciously with implications dripping in his voice.

I hated birthdays. I knew it was petty of me, but I wasn't one for attention, unlike Alice. In fact I almost always shied away from being in the spotlight, it made me uncomfortable. "Huh, I guess it is. Time goes by so quickly, I must be getting old," I joked nervously. _Please, please, _please_ don't ask me out again._

"Oh stop!" Mike hit me playfully with a folder. I laughed uneasily with him, why do you have to make things so awkward Mike? "You are not old! You know, you should let me treat you to dinner, Bella. So what do you say?" Mike asked, eagerness written across his forehead.

"Uh, I don't know Mike," I said slowly, pondering how to let him down easy. Just then, Edward walked by with a smirk plastered on his face. He looked as if he had heard the entire painful conversation and was suppressing laughter. I didn't miss my chance to glare at him—I never did. I hoped he saw it, too.

"You know, Mike, I'm really sorry I already have plans, with my boyfriend. Maybe some other time," I shrugged apologetically. I really was sorry, his steadfast persistence was really quite impressive, but I had a boyfriend. What did he not understand about that?

"Oh, right. Okay, well I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Mike smiled and turned away. I looked around and saw Edward waiting for an elevator. I quickly thought up a witty comment and headed over to him. Only a few feet away from him, I reached my hand up to get his attention, but Alice's spiked hair was suddenly blocking my field of vision. She had a habit of doing that.

"Aw, sometimes Mike's so cute. Like a puppy dog, just begging for attention! But come on—don't use your stupid boyfriend to weasel out of a date with him. I've heard better from you," Alice scoffed, "I bet you don't even have plans!"

I caught a glimpse of Edward over Alice's shoulder with his head turned slightly in our direction before he stepped into the elevator. "Shut up, and what else was I supposed to say, Alice?" I huffed.

"Mm, I don't know. But you're much more inventive then that!" She lightly shoved my shoulders. I tried pushing towards the elevator, but the door clanged shut before we reached it. "Stupid elevators," Alice grumbled, hitting the button for another one.

"Ah, Mike," I sighed, "Unrelenting, and oh so determined Mike." Alice's wind chime laugh filled the air and the next elevator opened up for us.

"So I was thinking we should get some take out and watch a movie at my place after the gym," I suggested, dying for a subject change. "Are you in the mood for romantic-comedy, or sappy chick flick?"

Alice frowned and replied glumly, "I can't! I just found out I have to work an event!"

"On a Monday night?"

"I know! They're seriously over-working me," She rolled her eyes, as if she knew the meaning of over-worked. Try having an anal boss for three years and then a new one who dumps six projects on you all on the first day.

"Oh please, you love working events," I ridiculed, "Plus we can do movie night anytime. My apartment is always free."

"Yeah, that's because you're boyfriend is hardly around anymore," Alice remarked. She quickly dodged my attempt to shove her, not like there was a real chance I'd actually even touch her. I stuck my tongue out at her, in a two-year-old fashion. We entered the parking garage and separated to our own cars.

"Have fun at the gym, see you tomorrow Bella!" Alice cheerfully blew me a kiss.

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Donned in a tank top and cut off sweats, with my earphones already snuggly in my ears, I headed out of the locker room. I decided to start with my upper body today. Growing up I was always thin, but not in an unhealthy way. I just never had any muscle or strength, all thanks to my lack of athletic interest or ability. Ever since I moved to Seattle and met Alice, I began a new lifestyle and started working out more. I definitely wasn't an obsessed gym junkie, but it helped me relax after a stressful day.

After about an hour of laborious work and sweat, I decided to head over to the treadmills. I wasn't watching where I was going and fiddling with the cap of my water bottle when I suddenly collided into something, or someone, hard after turning a corner.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, apologizing out of habit—I was used to crashing into people.

A pair of strong arms caught me from stumbling backwards and held me at an awkwardly close angle. I felt a low chuckle shake the frame of my savior. "Can't you at least watch where you walk?" a smooth familiar voice hummed above me.

I stifled a groan and swallowed my embarrassment. Lifting my head up, I hesitated, thinking if I wished hard enough it wouldn't be the person I already knew it was. Sure enough, I was met by a pair of taunting green eyes staring straight at me. Running into my boss at the gym was like seeing a teacher outside of school—awkward. Edward grinned and raised an eyebrow at me. He was still holding me against his chest.

Feeling the heat rush to my face from our close proximity, I abruptly stepped away. My cheeks were already blushing furiously so I didn't even try to hide it. "Funny meeting you here," I muttered.

"Don't you think you've run into me enough for one day?" Edward laughed mockingly.

I tried to avert my eyes, but I found it extremely difficult. He looked different without his serious business suit and tie—more human, less evil. I could clearly see just how built he was with the sleeveless shirt he was wearing. My mind wandered as I eyed his muscular arms; he wasn't too bulky or too thin. _You should wear _that_ to the office. You'll give every woman there a heart attack…_

I shook my head slightly, remembering the uncomfortable situation I just stuck myself in. "I've had enough of _you_ for one day. I was hoping to get rid of you actually," I sighed dramatically, "And yet, here you are…"

"Here we are," Edward smiled crookedly.

We both stood there in excruciating silence for a while, looking anywhere but at each other. I decided to get myself out of there as quick as possible and exhaled sharply. "Well, I was heading to the treadmills so I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

I started walking away when Edward's warm hand grabbed my wrist. "You know the treadmills are that way, right?" He nodded in the opposite direction.

"Right, of course," I replied, yanking my hand away quickly, trying to hide my humiliation. Striding past him, I ignored the smug look I sensed he was wearing. If I chanced a glance, I would probably find myself resisting the impulse to chuck something extremely heavy or sharp at his pretty face.

"I was heading to the treadmills, too," Edward's voice was right beside me. I gave him a skeptic look, but decided against saying something.

We walked over to the treadmills silently. At least he wasn't being a complete ass. He was actually being civilized. Too bad he wasn't always like this. "Hope you don't mind me running with you," Edward said, stepping up onto a machine.

I shrugged, setting my water bottle on the one next to his, "Not at all."

He chuckled as he climbed onto the machine and started running. "I didn't take you for the type of person who would go to the gym. Are you sure you can keep up?" Edward remarked with a smirk.

Offended, I simply stood there gaping at him. He just laughed at me. So maybe he still was an ass. "So are you just going to stand there and stare at me all day, or are you going to jump up here and run?" Edward asked motioning towards the treadmill.

I huffed sarcastically and stepped up. "Well, if you insist," I replied.

We continued like this for a few minutes, our pounding feet and the whirring of the machine the only audible sounds. I peered over at Edward a few times when he wasn't paying attention. He looked so concentrated, yet he was hardly breaking a sweat. I was already starting to lose my breath and strands of my hair were starting to stick the back of my neck. I glanced over at Edward again.

I couldn't hold back a chuckle. He had his eyebrows drawn in seriously and looked like he was trying to figure out a difficult math problem. Covering my mouth, I tried to stifle my laughter. He broke his concentration and gazed over at me curiously, "What's so funny?"

"Your face!" I giggled. He kept running, staring at me blankly. "You look so serious when you run. Like its hard work, yet you're barely even sweating or gasping for breath."

He looked away and shrugged. "I guess I'm just thinking," He replied.

"About what?"

He hesitated with his answer than responded with a smirk, "About your choice of outfit. Cut off sweats? Really?"

I knew that wasn't what he was going to say but I couldn't stop my eyes from rolling. "Shut up. They're my boyfriends," I answered sharply.

A look I couldn't exactly place swept across his face, but he composed himself too quickly. "Aw that's so sweet," He said sarcastically, "How is that boyfriend problem of yours anyway?"

Jake was a touchy subject right now. No matter how hard I tried to get a hold of him, he kept ignoring me—some boyfriend. I stopped my treadmill and stepped off, grabbing my water bottle to take a swift gulp. "Someone's a bit nosy," I quipped.

Clearly seeing my irritation, Edward groaned and followed suit stepping off the machine. "Not nosy, I can't help it if you keep your phone on speaker phone."

"Sorry," I grumbled. "I just, I don't know," I sat down defeated. I don't know what was getting into me, why I was exposing my vulnerability to him. I was desperate.

He shook his head disapprovingly, wiping the nonexistent sweat from his forehead. "I know it's none of my business, and I don't mean to be rude, but what's so great about this boyfriend of yours anyway?" He sat down next to me, still smirking.

"You're right, it _is_ none of your business," I remarked. I didn't realize how rude I was being and sighed pathetically, "I guess I'm just not a good enough girlfriend. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Edward sneered, he was so insensitive. "I could tell you a few things that you're not doing right," he scoffed.

"Oh yeah? Like what?" I crossed my arms and glowered at him.

"Well for one thing, you're smothering him," He replied coolly.

"What do you think you are some kind of relationship expert?" I couldn't believe I was having this conversation with my boss.

"No, but I am a man. I do know a thing or two." He said seriously, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay. So please, enlighten me." I smiled sweetly.

He snickered at me, shaking his head again. "Look, he stood you up on your anniversary, right?"

"Yes."

"So I bet he's ignoring all of your calls, too, right?"

"Yes…" I frowned.

"And e-mails, no doubt,"

"Okay, okay, enough humiliation at my expense," I held up my hands in surrender. "What am I doing wrong?"

"I already told you, you're smothering him," He snorted, grabbing my water bottle and taking a huge gulp. I cringed visibly—I hated it when people took my drinks. He swiped his mouth and handed it back to me.

"Keep it."

He shrugged and continued, "He's probably cheating on you anyway, dump him."

Why was everyone jumping to this conclusion? I gazed defiantly up at him, "What makes you so sure he's cheating on me?"

"If a guy wants to be with you, he'll be with you. If he's ignoring you, he's clearly uninterested," He replied nonchalantly, as if we were discussing the weather. "Besides, if I were to cheat on a girl, that's what I would do."

"You…" I was disgusted.

"I'm just trying to help you. If you don't want my help than just say so," He stated.

"Fine," I retorted, "I don't need your help, thanks for trying."

Edward snickered and stood up. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow Ms. Swan," He started to walk away, "Oh, and thanks for the water bottle," He looked over his shoulder and winked at me.

I eyed a dumbbell a few feet away, but decided not to go against my better judgment.


	5. Freaky Friday

**Once again, sorry for not updating sooner! Even though it's summer I still find myself busy with lots of things :( But please read and enjoy!**

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It was finally Friday.

I had endured an entire week of uptight and watchful Les and Edward throwing crazy assignments at me every hour of every day, constantly breathing down my neck. The prospect of a calm relaxing weekend in the near future had put me at ease. As I strolled down the sidewalk I enjoyed the bit of sun that was peeping out from behind the September clouds. I had gone for a quick coffee run down the street. It wasn't Starbucks or my favorite little coffee shop by my apartment, but it was the closest one to the office so I had to deal.

I made my way across the marble lobby and towards the elevators when my phone started buzzing violently. It was probably Edward giving me some new project or Alice asking me, "Where the hell are you?"

I came to a complete stop when I read who it was from. Jake. I had e-mailed him earlier this morning, but I wasn't actually expecting a reply. Just doing it out of habit—I guess I was pretty pathetic. Standing there totally motionless, I didn't know what to do. Should I open it? I know I wanted to—this is what I had been waiting for! But should I? Better yet, did I want to know what it said? I decided I was probably going to attract a few stares if I just stood there so I continued to the elevators and made my way in to one.

My curiosity got the better of me and I took a deep breath as I read his long awaited message.

"_Sorry I haven't called you or anything, been real busy with work. I'll call you later. Jake."_

It was very brief, but it was something. I couldn't decide if I was more relieved that he had finally answered me or pissed that he responded in a quick post-it sized message. I sighed and stuffed my phone back into my purse, trying to force his message to the far corners of my mind.

"Hey Bella!" Tyler Crowley waved at me from across the office as soon as I stepped off the elevator. Mike stood next to him looking irritated.

I smiled weakly and waved back. Did he have to be so loud? I was almost in the safety of my office when I was stopped by the one person I didn't want to deal with at the moment. "Ms. Swan, can I see you in my office for just a moment?" Edward's cool voice asked from behind me.

"Sure," I responded turning around. He had on his serious face and nodded for me to follow him. "Am I in trouble?" I mumbled too low for him to hear.

We walked into his office as his phone began to ring. He motioned to one of the black chairs situated in front of his desk. It was much too large and much too comfy. His entire back wall was a glass window and had a breathtaking view of the bay. I guess being the boss had its perks. Edward finished his call and sat in front of me, rearranging some of his papers. He still had on his serious face. He continued to ignore me for a full minute or two. I cleared my throat quietly, trying to get his attention, but he didn't even flinch.

"Sir?" I spoke softly. He looked up from his desk at me through his eyelashes with those stunning green eyes.

"My apologies, Ms. Swan, I forgot you were still here," He replied quietly, almost to himself. "I've been very busy today. As you can imagine, I can't be in two places at once. I need you to sit in on the marketing meeting for me at noon."

"W-What?"I stuttered.

"Yes, the marketing meeting, today at noon. Just sit there, take some notes, you don't have to say anything," He spoke slowly, as if he were trying to explain something to a four year old. I blinked a few times, still dazed at his demands, but finally composed myself.

"Wow, so you actually trust me. I'm shocked by you, Mr. Cullen," I put my hand over my mouth in faux surprise, "You think I can do it without screwing up?" I looked up at him innocently.

He smirked, finally breaking his serious attitude, "Well I would hope so. I did pick you right? Out of _everyone—_you specialize in marketing so I'm sure you can handle it. I'm usually always right."

"Sure, sure," I muttered.

A loud knock suddenly interrupted the genius remark I had in store. He looked at me and then the door expectantly. I sighed and heaved myself up from the chair to answer it. It was Tyler. He smiled at me widely than turned to Edward. "I have those files you wanted," He said, waving some manila folders in his hands.

"Thank you, Tyler. Just give them to Ms. Swan," He replied, nodding towards me. I took the files and walked them over to his desk.

"Alright, good day Mr. Cullen," Tyler smiled as he turned to leave. He looked back and winked at me, "See ya, Bella."

I didn't feel like faking a smile so I kept my eyes trained on the floor and nodded. The door closed softly, leaving me alone with Edward again. I was studying a scuff on my shoe when a choking sound came from Edward. Looking up I realized he was just holding back laughter. I glared at him angrily, "What?"

He just shook his head, giving up on trying to hide his apparent amusement. "Nothing, you can go now Ms. Swan," He chuckled, waving his hand to dismiss me.

I turned, annoyed by him, and tried to storm out. My shoe, of course, caught on a snag in the carpet and I nearly fell flat on my face. Thankfully, I caught myself before I could cause any damage to myself or anything around me. "Bella," Edward said sternly, "Please, could you watch where you walk." It wasn't a question.

"I'll try my best," I gritted my teeth and walked out cautiously, completely ruining the dramatic exit I had planned. Closing the door behind me I muttered angrily to myself, straightening my shirt. Les was standing in front of me giving me a questioning look. I ignored him and continued to my office to prepare for the meeting. That was weird. Edward had never called me Bella before.

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"Alice," I whined through the phone as I walked towards my car. "I didn't get to see you all day, and I need to talk to you!"

It was like role reversal, I was the one pleading for some girl talk and she was the one who was too busy. "I know I know," Alice apologized, "I've been really busy all day and I have an event tonight."

"Fine, I guess I'll just go to the gym or something," I resolved, stepping into my car. _How boring_, I thought pathetically.

"Hey that sounds fun!" Alice tried to sound enthusiastic, "Have fun and do some crunches in my honor. Love ya!"

The line went dead. I sighed. I didn't even get to tell her about Jake. I didn't have time to think about him all day and quite frankly, I didn't want to. I drove home quietly, listening to the radio without really paying attention. As soon as I got home, I grabbed all of my workout gear and headed for the gym. The sun was still out, but it was starting to set over the bay. It painted the Seattle sky and the water a glowing orange. Another lonely Friday night…

After stretching and working out for awhile on the elliptical machines I headed over to a water fountain to refill my water bottle. When I reached the fountain, a guy was already leaning over taking a drink. I waited in line patiently, fiddling with the lid from my bottle. He continued drinking for a little longer than necessary and it was agitating. After about a minute I finally tapped him on his shoulder.

"Hey buddy, why don't you save some for the rest of us?" I asked, annoyed. It didn't help that I was already irritable.

The guy straightened up—he was tall—and swiped his mouth. The mess of bronze hair on top of his head made me instantly recognize him. Speaking of irritable…

I groaned audibly, sure that he already knew it was me, so what the hell. "_You_ again," I exclaimed incredulously.

Edward turned around with a crooked grin already plastered on his face. His eyes swept over me and he shook his head slightly still grinning—probably disapproving of my choice of outfit again. I crossed my arms self consciously. "Well, nice to see you, too," Edward bowed his head.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to refill my water bottle," I stated pushing past him. "That is, if there's even any water left," I gave him an accusing glare.

"I apologize ahead of time if I drained the pipes clean," Edward laughed. "I'll be at the treadmills. I'll probably see you there in a minute."

"Wow, so you're a mind reader, too?" I asked mockingly.

"No, I'm just always right," He simply shrugged with a smile and walked away. I ignored him and continued to fill up my water bottle. I really was planning on going to the treadmills. But now that I knew Edward was over there I wasn't sure if I wanted to go. I decided I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. I wouldn't let him get to me.

Replacing my lid, I sauntered over to the treadmills, taking all the time in the world. As I rounded the corner I saw Edward running, but he looked extremely irritated. As I walked further, I saw there was a woman next to him, obviously trying to make conversation.

"So that explains the look on his face," I laughed quietly to myself. I stalked quietly behind where they were, trying to eavesdrop. The woman was little, her red hair pulled back in a high, tight ponytail. She was jogging on the machine next to Edward's, enthusiastically asking him questions.

"Sorry, I'm married," Edward replied with a straight face to some unheard question.

The woman giggled in an annoying high-pitched voice, clearly not believing him. I pondered on whether or not I should save him. After some serious debating, I decided the guy _was_ my boss. I walked over to Edward and stepped up on his other side. "Hey, _honey_, thanks for saving me a spot," I may have laid the sweetness in my voice on a bit thick, but it seemed to work. "Who's this?" I asked curiously.

"Oh," the red head murmured and looked away. Edward gave me a confused look and I winked back at him. He laughed under his breath.

"Yes, _sweetie_, I did," Edward replied, playing along, "And this is Mandy."

Mandy smiled, stopping her machine. "I was leaving anyway, nice to meet you," She stepped away and scurried off.

As soon as she was out of earshot, I broke into a fit of laughter. Edward looked half annoyed and half amused. I had to stop my treadmill to double over in hysteria. "It really wasn't that funny," Edward grunted.

"Yes… it…was!" I gasped between breaths.

"Okay, it was a little funny," He resolved, "But it was more irritating than anything."

"Oh, I'm sure it was," I chuckled, wiping away a tear, "You should've seen your face, it was priceless!"

"Why don't you take a picture next time, it'll last longer," He snapped. "And, thanks, for saving me, _sweetie_."

"Please don't call me that."

"Okay, okay. But I do owe you," Edward chuckled.

I thought about that as I turned on my machine and started a slow jog. There were still some tears in my eyes from my laughing fit. "Actually, we could just forget about the whole car—"

"Nope."

"But you didn't even let me—"

"Not a chance," Edward replied smugly.

"Ugh!" I cried out.

"That is a completely different subject," He said, apparently amused with my childish behavior.

"You're so _not_ fair."

"Never said I was," Edward smiled innocently. I stuck my tongue out at him when he wasn't looking.

"You're a terrible husband," I muttered. Edward just laughed softly at me. We kept running, neither of us speaking a word. It wasn't uncomfortable, it was actually nice. Sometimes I preferred him silent. Actually, I would always prefer him silent.

"You did better on your choice of clothes, but what's with the t-shirt?" Edward sneered, breaking the silence and proving my point. I looked down at the old tattered gray shirt I had thrown on and shrugged apathetically.

Edward scoffed, "I bet it was your boyfriend's, huh?"

_Dammit, how did he know…_ I thought fiercely. It's not like I purposely put on Jake's old clothing, I usually just grabbed whatever was on top of the pile. I tried to act indifferent to his statement, but I could feel the blush creeping up my face. That gave Edward his answer.

"Why does it matter so much to you?" I chided.

Edward shrugged, "It doesn't. How is that working out for you anyway?"

"Nothing's changed," I sighed, "But he did respond to one of my e-mails today."

"Hm. What did he say?" He inquired with little enthusiasm.

"Something stupid, like 'been busy with work, talk to you later'," I mocked with an annoyed voice.

"That is pretty stupid," Edward laughed. For some reason, that made me mad. Only I could ridicule Jake, if anyone else did it I got defensive.

"Did he mention your birthday or say he loved you?" Edward continued.

That caught me off guard. He usually did, but now that I thought about it, he hadn't. "No…"

"Wow," Edward sneered, "Run."

"What?" I asked confused.

"Run! He's not worth it. And he's obviously up to something shady." I considered that prospect, but couldn't bring myself to believe it. Edward could clearly see the doubt on my face. "Still hung up about him, huh?"

"I guess I'm just that predictable," I mumbled angrily. Edward was silent for a moment and muttered something under his breath. "What?" I questioned.

"Nothing," He replied too quickly.

"Is it weird, discussing my relationship problems with me?" I asked, genuinely curious.

This seemed to surprise Edward. "No, why?"

"Well you_ are_ my boss," I stated the obvious. He pulled in his eyebrows, apparently considering that fact. He then slowed to a stop and got off, running his hands through his messy bronze hair. "I'm going to hit the showers."

Edward wandered away towards the locker rooms taking long powerful strides.

"Bye?" I spoke a little too late. We'd have to stop running into each other here. It was getting weirder and weirder with each meeting.


	6. Birthday Surprises

**I've been sick the past few days :( Luckily I'm feeling better. I slept practically the entire day and couldn't sleep at all, sooo I decided to finish writing this chapter. I can just say it's an interesting chapter :)**

**Read and review please!**

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I never understood the point of birthdays. So you were another year older, big deal. I never felt any different. But I always put on a happy face, despite my distaste for the pointless celebration.

Each year I would put up with Alice's surprise parties, give my parents an excuse to call me, and take whatever gift was thrown at me. I didn't want to hurt their feelings—after all they really did care for me and just wanted to see me happy. That's all that ever really mattered to me. So that is exactly what I did the weekend of my 27th birthday. I put on a smile and attended Alice's "surprise" party for me and accepted the fact that I was getting parties and presents whether I liked it or not.

My actual birthday came around on Monday and I wasn't expecting Alice to settle down quite yet. I exited the elevator with caution, readying myself for whatever nonsense she had planned. As soon as I stepped of the elevator I was attacked by a tiny blur of dark spikes. "Happy birthday Bella!" Alice clapped happily as everyone in the office began cheering and whooping with her.

"Alice," I groaned, "Why are you here, this isn't even your floor!"

"Well, you're welcome Grumpy!" Alice huffed dramatically. I couldn't help but laugh at her overly pouty lip. We slowly made our way to my office, stopping every few feet by some co-worker wishing me birthday good fortunes. However, I did manage to dodge into my office before Mike could come over and ask me out again.

"I didn't get to say thank you for the party," I smiled at Alice, "Really, thanks. For everything."

Alice carelessly waved her hand at me, "Oh, stop it. What are best friends for?"

I sat down at my desk and looked around at Alice's monstrosity. She had completely outdone herself, as usual. My office was festooned with brightly colored streamers and balloons from floor to ceiling and my desk was showered with festive confetti. I shook my head and laughed quietly, "Did you forget how old I was turning? I'm not 7."

"You're never too old for birthday decorations," Alice giggled, swirling gracefully around my tiny office. There was a quiet knock at my door and I thoughtlessly granted whoever it was entrance. If it were someone I didn't want around, they probably wouldn't even bother to knock.

"Happy birthday!" Jessica smiled widely as she entered.

"Thanks, Jess," I smiled back, "Come to admire Alice's handiwork?"

"No, I helped her," Jessica admitted sheepishly. "But I did come here to give you a message. Other than 'happy birthday' I mean," she explained, sitting down in one of my chairs.

"It better be a message _and_ flowers. Jake always sends you flowers on your birthday," Alice raised an eyebrow at me with a meaningful look.

"Afraid not," Jessica frowned, "But Mr. Cullen told me to tell you to check your e-mail."

I rolled my eyes and progressed to turn on my computer. Barely 10 minutes in the office and he's already scolding me for not checking my e-mails. It's not like I would go the whole day without looking. Did he really have to send a messenger?

"No flowers?" Alice gasped with disbelief.

"I know, I was surprised, too," Jessica agreed. I couldn't tell if she truly was surprised or was just playing along to get the scoop on my on-and-off-again boyfriend. "Are you two still together?" She inquired.

"I really don't know _what _we are," I answered truthfully.

"So are we still on for dinner tonight?" Alice asked reluctantly, glancing at Jessica. She obviously didn't want to include anyone else in our plans. "Or do you think you'll still have dinner with Jake?"

I frowned as I read Edward's e-mail. Guess I wouldn't have a free evening, even on my birthday. I had to clear my schedule for work, once again. "It doesn't matter. I'm not having dinner with you. Or Jake." I grumbled.

"What?" Alice exclaimed, "Why not?"

"I have to meet Edward tonight to go over some new proposals for the big project we're working on." I sighed, clicking the mouse and closing the e-mail with a little too much force.

"Wait, so you're going to have dinner, with Edward? Just the two of you?" Jessica asked skeptically. I shrugged in response. Not many people could see how much of an evil slave driver he really was. He was always a charming gentleman and all smiles around the other women at the office, making him quite the heartthrob and immediate rival of his male counterparts. I guess I should be honored to be the only one subjected to his demonic wrath. I'm so lucky.

"Why can't he just meet you during the day?" Jess laughed uneasily, "Is he really that busy?" Jealousy was the dominant tone in her voice.

"He's not even in the office today. He's at some regional conference thingy, I don't know," I replied indifferently, "But he asked me to sit in on his meetings for today."

"Oh," Jess tried to act apathetic.

Alice simply perched on my desk with a smug smile on her face. She was still convinced that Edward and I were "a perfect match" and that we had "great chemistry." No matter how many times I tried telling her that: one, I had a boyfriend and two, Edward was my _boss._ She just wouldn't listen.

"Sooo," Alice chirped in, "Where's he taking you to dinner?"

"He's _meeting_ me at some Italian restaurant," I replied disgruntled. "La Bella Italia, ever heard of it?" Alice was positively beaming with excitement and Jessica was not doing a very good job at hiding her envy.

"Ooh!" Alice cooed, "Mr. Fancy Pants! That's one of the most expensive restaurants in Seattle. I hear they have great ravioli."

"Huh, really—what a show off," I muttered.

"Rich, charming, smart, and hot…" Jessica sighed.

"How romantic!" Alice sung.

"Is there one thing that _isn't_ perfect about this guy?" Jessica continued with a dreamy glazed look in her eyes.

"Yup," I remarked sarcastically, "He's just Mr. Perfect."

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It was 8:20 and I was still sitting at a table in La Bella Italia. Alone. Edward had informed me to meet him here twenty minutes ago and has had yet to show his face. Alice and Jessica weren't kidding when they elaborated and gushed about this place. It was a beautiful restaurant and looked much too expensive for my budget. It was elegant and chic, merging both modern and classic looks in a tasteful way. The low lighting hinted a more romantic feel and I resented Edward for choosing this place.

"Mr. Cullen would like to apologize and says he will be here soon," The dark haired waitress informed me with a courteous smile, "Would you like to order some wine or any appetizers while you await his arrival?"

"No thank you, I'll just wait for him," I replied politely as she nodded and left. _He better pay for dinner, _I thought irritated, as I looked around at all the happy couples surrounding me.

It made me feel more depressed and out of place sitting unaccompanied in such a romantic setting. I wondered idly if Edward and I would look like a couple. Probably not, considering the fact he would have his eyebrows pinched in a serious way and I would be poring over several files and documents. It would be nice, though, to have people at least _think_ we were together. Just for today. They wouldn't have to know the truth. Or maybe they would see the blaring difference between us and know we weren't a couple—male model looks versus your average Plain-Jane. Who was I kidding? I suddenly wished Jake was around to make me feel better.

As I continued to survey the restaurant, I got my wish.

Across the restaurant in a dimly lit corner I could see a man with russet skin and black hair, but I wasn't sure if it was Jake or not; a waitress was partially obstructing my view. I knew it was him as soon as a blinding grin flashed across his face. I couldn't help the smile that bubbled to my face as I rose from my chair, prepared to dash across the restaurant like a mad woman. The impeding waitress moved to one side, giving me a full view of Jake's table. My jaw dropped in horror when I realized what the waitress had been blocking.

Sitting across from Jake at his table was a pretty blonde woman with soft features and strong eyes. My immediate reaction was not to presume anything. I stood there awkwardly, watching his table from a distance. Maybe she was just a client, or a business partner. Maybe this didn't have to be what it appeared to be. They were discussing something but I couldn't hear over the noise of the restaurant. All of a sudden they both laughed and she leaned in and kissed him straight on the lips, winding her skinny hand around the back of his neck.

My first thought was pure shock, than seething anger. I threw my cloth napkin onto the table and stormed over to his table. I nearly ran into a few unsuspecting diners and almost knocked over a waitress's tray, but I amazingly didn't trip or stumble once, despite my heels. In all my years of heartbreak, failed dates, and rejection, I had never been burnt so badly before. I finally arrived at his table and stood there, with my hands on my hips, giving Jake the coldest glare I could muster.

The two of them were still smiling, like two love struck puppies, oblivious to my presence. I didn't break my glower, knowing one of them would eventually have to look up and see me. When Jake finally broke his gaze and looked up, he seemed shocked at first than a different emotion crossed his face. Was it annoyance? The sheer possibility of it made me fume.

"Bella? Is that you?" Jake asked, "What are you doing here?"

I tried to fight the angry tears that were urging to burst from behind my eyes. I always cried when I was mad. It was annoying. I quickly grabbed Jake's drink and poured it down the front of his pure white shirt. Good thing they ordered red wine.

"Are you crazy!" The blonde shrieked grabbing a napkin to dab at Jake's shirt.

Swiftly turning around, I headed for the front of the restaurant, grabbing my purse on the way out. A waitress tried to stop me, but there was no way I was sticking around. My face was burning hot, no doubt it was tomato red, and I could already feel the wetness of a tear creeping down my cheek. I wanted to leave with at least some dignity. As I burst through the front doors of the restaurant, I ran into something hard. I knew it wasn't the door or a wall because I felt the warm familiar grasp of two strong arms surround me.

I looked up reluctantly at the pair of green eyes that were gazing at me uncertainly. My eyes were puffy, my face wet with tears, and my cheeks were ablaze—all in all I was a complete mess.

"Happy birthday," Edward murmured, making it sound more like a question.

I quickly disentangled myself from his grip. Not trusting my voice, I quietly wiped away my angry tears with the back of my hands. I was still infuriated. My anger was simply dulling the pain I knew would eventually surface and overtake me. Edward was the last person I would want as a witness in my most humiliating hour. Yet here he was. He always seemed to show up at all the wrong times. I was surprised he wasn't laughing at me or ridiculing me.

"If you didn't want to eat here I know a different place we can—"

"I really don't feel like eating," I interrupted him, my voice coarse from crying. "But I could go for a drink or two."

Edward simply raised an eyebrow at me, seeming to ponder my request—or my sanity—than he gestured to his car parked not too far away on the street.

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"It's my birthday and I just got my heart broken, so give me the strongest of whatever you got," I demanded to the bartender. I was beyond caring about what a fool I was making of myself.

"Sure thing, ma'am," He nodded, getting to work on my drink.

"I can't believe it," I muttered, "After all of those years, I just can't believe it… Dumped!"

Edward snickered beside me, taking a sip from his glass. "Well if you really did pour his entire drink on his shirt as you claim to have done, I'd say _he_ was the one that was dumped."

"Hah," I snorted. "Like it matters, he's moved on and has a new girl and what am I left with? I broken heart and a mess to clean up," I sighed.

"I'd hate to say it," Edward shrugged coolly, "but I told you so. I'm always right."

I hated how both he and Alice really did tell me so and I had ignored them. I hated how smug he was about it. I hated how incredibly pathetic I looked next to him—with his sleeves rolled up exposing his toned upper arm, and the top buttons of his shirt undone revealing just a peek of his chiseled chest, and his annoying sexy grin that I wanted to slap off his face. Stupid insensitive boss.

"Why do I always get the broken heart? Even if I do the dumping," I moped, grabbing the drink the bartender slid over to me.

Edward's wind chime laugh sung in the air, "Well for one thing, you don't play by the rules."

"Rules?" I asked dubiously, "Relationships, love, it all isn't just a game."

"Sure it is," Edward continued smoothly, "That's exactly what it is. A game."

I laughed loudly, feeling a bit loose from the alcohol. "Love is not a _game_. It's not all that simple. It's much more complicated than that. There aren't any rules."

"You only think it's complicated because you make it so," Edward's voice was smooth and calm, but not in a soothing way.

"Oh really, care to explain?"

He sighed and put down his drink. "In relationships, you were the one who would call first, or give gifts on birthdays and anniversaries, or do thoughtful little romantic gestures, right?"

I bit my lip thoughtfully. I had never noticed it before, but he was exactly right. "I take that as a yes," Edward continued with a smirk, "And you would always seem to settle. You would just settle with whoever would answer your calls and take your gifts and show even the slightest bit of interest."

Defeated, I sighed and finished the last of my drink. "Is there something wrong with that?" I asked.

"Yes. That's exactly what you _shouldn't_ do, Ms. Swan. Have you ever heard of self-respect?" He laughed incredulously.

"I have self-respect," I declared. "So what, I love him. What's wrong with admitting that? I can't show him I love him? What's wrong with wanting to make someone else happy?"

"You'll be treated like trash," He shrugged, "Exhibit A, the restaurant tonight. Like I said before, you smothered him. He needed space but you wouldn't give him any, so what does he do? Pick up some bimbo so he can forget about you."

"Well rub salt in my wounds, why don't you," I replied bitterly.

"I'm just offering you my advice. I'm just trying to help." His face was serious and bitter, but there was something in his eyes that told me he wasn't lying. Angry tears started to bubble behind my eyes again, but I fought them back diligently and ordered another drink.

"So, love is a game and I'm losing," I brooded miserably.

"You're losing horribly. If only you knew the rules," he shook his head.

"Oh, and you must be the love expert. And I suppose _you_ could teach me all the rules?" I scoffed.

Edward pursed his lips as the bartender handed me another drink. I took a too quick and too huge gulp and instantly regretted it. "I could if I wanted to," Edward replied slowly, "I'm not an expert, but I know much more than you've ever learned."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Impress me."

Edward grinned crookedly and ordered another drink.


	7. True Love and War Threats

**Sorry for the wait, but here's the next chapter :)**

**What do you all think of me writing a chapter or two in Edward's POV? It would be a chapter that I've already written, and I might do it later once the story is more developed. Let me know what you think!**

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"So, that's it," I laughed disbelievingly. Edward just smiled slyly, not caring to look at me. He sat there silently and tipped his glass back and forth. The ice rolled around in his empty glass and he continued to stare at the TV, feigning interest in whatever dull news program was showing.

"You tell me about all these fabulous _rules_," I spat irritably, "and you're not even going to offer me any?"

"I already told you," Edward chuckled as he set down his glass, "there is _no_ way I could possibly teach you anything, not this late in the game."

Feeling somewhat defeated, I was actually surprised at myself. Sure, I was just joking around whenever I asked him to teach me "the rules of love", but I guess a part of me really was hoping he would give me some advice. I guess I just wanted some reassurance that I wasn't as pitiable as I knew I was.

"So I guess that's it. I'm hopeless!" I exclaimed, slumping in my chair. "I'm sorry you have to bear witness to my pathetic display. No man would ever want me."

Edward scoffed and muttered something, but I ignored him as I usually did.

"Look, don't beat yourself up about this. Though it is mostly you're fault you're in this situation," I guess that was Edward's attempt at being consoling. I ignored him again and continued moping over my situation. Jake was my last hope. I just turned 27, I'm _old_. When I was a little girl I always imagined I'd be married and happy with kids by now. So much for that…

"I guess I'll never find true love," I sighed to myself.

"True love?" Edward spat incredulously, "Is that what you think you had? You are seriously delusional."

"Well, I was probably much closer to finding my soul mate than you'll ever be!" I snapped angrily. Edward gazed at me, an emotion I couldn't name coloring his face. Whether it was the few drinks I had or the surging mix of emotions brewing inside of me, I knew I wasn't thinking clearly. "Sorry," I apologized quickly, blushing and looking away.

Edward, once again, surprised me by laughing quietly. I glanced over at him and could see I was forgiven. He must be used to my crazy outbursts by now. "Can I ask you a personal question?" I asked tentatively, relaxing a bit.

"Well, we're sitting here at a bar on your birthday when we should be discussing business, and I'd say you're almost drunk. How much more personal can we get?" Edward gave me a tight smile.

I took that as an invitation and continued, "If you don't mind me asking, do you believe in true love?"

"I don't have a reason to," Edward answered coolly.

"I guess I should expect that, coming from you, but why not? Have you ever been in love?" I leaned forward curiously.

"The whole true love and soul mates bit just seems very imprudent to me," He shrugged.

"Well," I laughed softly, "That explains a lot…"

Edward raised an eyebrow at me, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You really don't believe there's someone out there who is perfect for you? Someone who will treat you right, and will love you unconditionally? You're perfect match, you're soul mate," I rambled on and on. I was a firm believer in the "whole soul mate bit." I guess it's what's kept me going all these years.

"What exactly is this _soul mate_ you are referring to?" Edward smiled mockingly.

I bit my lip and thought about it. How would I explain this to a two year old? I mean honestly, who doesn't know what the basic definition of a soul mate is. My robot boss sure doesn't. "Have you ever heard of the red string of fate?" I questioned him.

Edward narrowed his eyes, "No…"

"Well," I began eagerly, "it's an ancient Japanese belief. Supposedly, you are connected to your destined lover by a red string that is tied to your pinky," I lifted my hand and wiggled my pinky, "but you can't see it. Regardless of distance or circumstance, you will meet and marry your destined lover, your soul mate. The red string may stretch or tangle, but it can never break," I sighed dreamily.

Edward had his eyebrows pinched together and seemed to be mulling over the concept. "If we can't see the string that connects us to our true lover," he began slowly, "than how do we know it's red?"

I gaped at him dubiously, "You… are… unbelievable…"

"That's a cute little story, Ms. Swan, but I still don't believe it," Edward smirked, "How did you come up with that anyway?"

I rolled my eyes at him, "I studied the art and culture of different civilizations during college."

"Than what the hell are you doing in marketing?" Edward laughed heartily.

"I was a double major. And I don't know—I guess it's just my calling. You know, I like that story," I pouted, a bit wounded by his sardonic attitude. Edward continued to laugh, clearly amused by me.

"It gives me something to believe in, which is more than I can say for you... Besides, I don't want relationship advice from someone who doesn't believe in true love anyway. So thanks for trying Mr. Cullen," I quipped.

Edward sneered, "Oh, I'm honestly hurt, Ms. Swan. But if you believe your search for true love will land you the perfect man than please, be my guest," he gestured, grinning widely.

"Oh, I do believe it. And I _will_ find the perfect man. In fact, I could have any man I want begging for me," I retorted with just a smidge of overconfidence. Must've been the alcohol talking. Edward turned away and shook his head. He was still smiling as he muttered under his breath again. I didn't bother asking him what he had said. He would never tell me anyway. I sighed loudly, expressing my deep annoyance by this habit of his.

"I'm surprised by you Ms. Swan, I really am," he grinned again, showing all of his pearly white teeth, "But it's just _not_ going to happen."

I glared at him.

"Fine," Edward sighed, "than prove me wrong. Surprise me. When you have the man I'd least expect begging for your love, then I'll surrender to you, I'll even apologize at your feet," His smooth, musical voice flowed through the air.

"Deal," I crossed my arms defiantly.

"I still don't think it's going to happen. You might as well not even try," he continued smugly, glancing at his watch. "Well, it's not too late. Would you like to grab some dinner while we still can? I'll only treat you because it's your birthday," Edward smirked confidently.

I couldn't believe my ears. Who does he think he is? He's so arrogant, cocky, charming, gorgeous… Ugh. It really wasn't fair. Lord knows he's probably the hottest man I've ever met. He was also the single most rude and conceited person it has been my displeasure to work with. I wouldn't let his movie star looks get to me, no sir! I wasn't like every other woman drooling over his flawless face and chiseled body.

_You just wait Mr. Perfect. I will make you beg for me on your knees. You will be mine…_

"I'm sorry," I replied quickly, grabbing my purse and jacket, "I must be going. I already have plans. Good night sir," I said politely before briskly walking away and wiping the smile off my face as soon as I was out of sight. As soon as I exited the bar I felt the cool and comforting breeze breathe on my face. The taste of the salty ocean water was almost tangible in the air. I walked a few feet before I realized I had let Edward drive me here and was without car.

"This is _war_, Edward Cullen," I muttered angrily as I walked to the curb to hail a cab.

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"Oh, Bella, I'm so so sorry!" Alice squeezed me tight. This is what a girl who just got her heart broken needs. She needs a shoulder to cry on, a warm hug, a friend telling you everything will be alright and that you deserve better. She doesn't need a critic. I wondered why I even bothered Edward in the first place.

"You should have come over last night—or called me, in the very least!" Alice scolded me.

"I know," I sighed, "I just didn't want to be a bother I guess. But I wish I would've come over, Edward was no help at all."

Alice's soft laughed echoed in my tiny office, "Of course not, he's a man! He doesn't understand. And you'd _never_ be a bother to me. Do you hear me Isabella?" Alice asserted with a motherly tone.

"Sure, sure," I muttered, organizing my proposal for today's meeting. Because of my birthday dilemma, Edward and I had prepared virtually nothing for the meeting as we had planned to do. He didn't seem so pissed off about it last night or this morning, but I knew it was only a matter of time before he reprimanded me for my behavior last night.

Alice perched herself in her usual spot on top of my desk and continued fiddling with her phone, most likely answering e-mails. She used that phone more than her computer and it sure seemed like she was in my office more than her own.

"So," I asked quietly, genuinely curious, "Who do you think Edward meant when he said 'the man I'd least expect'?"

"Well himself of course," Alice stated blatantly.

"That's what I thought—I just wasn't sure," I replied timidly, "What does that even mean?"

Alice shrugged, "You know my theory, but you refuse to believe it, so I'm not saying anything."

I wasn't refusing it; I just knew better than to believe any of her silly ideas. It was pointless to argue with her, so I dropped the subject. Why would someone like Edward Cullen have any interest in _me_ anyway? He could easily have any woman he wanted. He didn't have to work at finding someone like I did. He already had an endless line of woman fawning over his every move. I had to prove him wrong, I had to show him I wasn't a meek little girl—I'm a woman dammit! There was only one option left, I had no other choice…

"Alice," I began hesitantly, "I can't believe I'm saying this! Will you take me shopping after work?"

Alice, probably questioning my sanity, gave me a confused look. I would never subject myself to one of Alice's shopping trips. Yet here I was, signing up for torture voluntarily. I didn't blame her for doubting me. I sighed, "I mean it this time."

After she was sure I was dead serious, Alice sprang up and exclaimed excitedly, "Of course!"

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I couldn't believe I willingly went shopping with Alice. Usually she had to force me or bribe me to tag along with her. She gloated the whole time. It was always, "See Bella, I told you this wasn't so bad," or "Can I pick your outfit tomorrow?" or "You should come shopping with me more often!"

After several hours of shopping and with more than enough bags in hand—my bank account probably had a serious dent in it—I dragged Alice away from Pacific Place, our last stop for the day. "Today was definitely a successful shopping trip! Even though you didn't get that dress…" Alice glanced sideways at me, trying to make me feel guilty.

"I got the other five dresses you told me I 'had to have'," I griped.

"Well, you just look good in everything. Sorry for trying to help!" Alice laughed. We dodged into the nearest Starbucks for a caffeine boost—I thought I was going to die.

"No Alice, _you _look good in everything. Not me," I grimaced.

"Oh, please," Alice scoffed, "You've got a great body. I'm so jealous. I wish you wouldn't hide it all the time!"

This is what girlfriends do. We constantly tell each other what we want to hear. It seems like a sort of messed up system, but it's what we rely on from each other—which is sad in a way. I didn't believe Alice for a second but I thanked her regardless. We got our coffees and headed out into the gray and cloudy Seattle weather. It was only five o'clock, so there were still plenty of cars rushing out of the downtown area. Alice was eternally thankful we got off work after the noon meeting today—otherwise we wouldn't have beat the swarm of cars. We headed towards the parking garage, silently sipping our coffees.

"I'm glad you finally see what I've been telling you all along," Alice sang quietly.

"What?" I asked confused.

"You know, about you and Edward," She laughed as if it was an obvious fact.

I shook my head, "Alice, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Alice sighed exasperated, "Isn't that what this whole shopping trip was about? Didn't you want to impress him? Woo him? Catch his eye? Stop me when I'm off…"

I paused before laughing recklessly. Alice simply stared at me, dumbfounded. "That's not what this is about, silly!" I giggled. "Sheesh, I'm not trying to _woo_ anyone. I'm just trying to get back at him. I mean, for goodness sakes, the man is my boss."

"Are you sure you're doing this right?" Alice questioned me, pursing her lips.

"Yes. I even told you his exact words. He said—"

"Yeah yeah, 'when you have the man I'd least expect begging for your love then I'll surrender to you' you already told me," she mimicked his voice to perfection. "So what, you're just going to seduce him, than dump him? Pretty harsh Bells," Alice clucked her tongue disapprovingly and wagged a finger at me.

"Well, I wouldn't use the word _seduce_. I'm just trying to prove a point I guess. I've had enough of his smugness," I grumbled.

"Call it whatever you want Bella," Alice grinned insidiously.

After overloading the trunk with shopping bags, we got into Alice's flashy Porsche and headed out on 6th Avenue. I fiddled with the radio controls as Alice simultaneously texted and drove the car without so much as deviating a centimeter from her lane. I envied her ability to multitask without crashing into another person. After driving for a while I realized we weren't headed towards the office to retrieve my car as was the plan.

"Where are we going?" I asked cautiously. Alice simply gave me an impish smile before she sped off at a much faster rate.

"Oh come on Ali!" I protested loudly, "You know I hate it when you drive fast. And will you _please_ tell me where we are going before I purposely make you crash this car?"

"It's a surprise, you'll thank me later!"


	8. Special Delivery

**Sorry I'm so slow on updating, even summer's are busy for me!**

**Please let me know if you think I should write a few chapters in Edward's POV. I think it'd be fun :) Thanks everyone for taking the time to read my story, and enjoy!**

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"Alice, that wasn't a good kind of surprise. That was torture!" I laughed as a lightly punched her arm.

"You're welcome!" She giggled in response. Despite my initial disapproval of Alice taking me to a spa and salon, I actually kind of enjoyed it. I didn't have to think about Jake or my broken heart—just some much needed girl talk with my best friend. We exited the heavily fumed shop and into the damp Seattle air. It wasn't raining at the moment, but the reflective glow off the pavement and water droplets dripping from the parked cars hinted at some rain earlier. I pulled my mini umbrella from my purse, just in case.

"You really didn't have to do this," I sighed, picking at my freshly French manicured nails.

"Stop that!" Alice exclaimed as she lightly slapped my wrists, "You'll ruin them before you've even had time to enjoy them. And I know I didn't have to do it. I just wanted to," She beamed up at me.

"Besides, I'm trying to help you. You know, with Edward," Alice winked at me.

"Mary Alice Brandon," I began to scold her, implementing the use of her full name—she hates that.

Alice rolled her eyes at me, "What I mean is I'm just trying to help you 'get back at him' or whatever it is you think you're doing."

"I don't _think_, I know what I am doing," I smiled confidently, though I wasn't quite sure what my plan was just yet. What exactly was I doing? I wasn't an expert on dating. Jake was my first and only serious relationship. Sure, I've been with guys back in Arizona while I was in college, but I never thought anything of them. They weren't exactly the brightest bulbs in the pack, so I never developed any serious flirting skills. I was quite terrible at flirting.

"But you have to admit, the hairstyle I picked for you doesn't exactly hurt your situation. I told you it would look hot! You can thank me later," Alice admired as she stroked my newly cut, washed, and styled long brown curls. She always liked to brag whenever she was right.

"Oh, stop it," I replied sarcastically, pulling my hair away from her. I was a creature of habit, and for having the same hairstyle for half of my life, I actually liked this new look. I didn't think I'd like the bangs, but I had to admit, they looked pretty decent. Damn Alice and her sense of style. She was always quite the fashionista. She would constantly insist on dressing me up and giving me a makeover, but I always protested to being her giant Barbie doll. I had to remind myself why I didn't let her do this to me all the time.

"You like the length right? I knew you loved your long hair, so I asked them not to cut too much off," Alice fretted as she twisted my head this way and that.

"It's fine," I insisted as she continued to survey my hair.

"Really Alice," I half laughed, "Stop it. It's fine, I love it. I'm actually surprised you didn't pry the scissors out of the poor stylist's hands while she was cutting my hair to do it yourself!"

Alice's mouth was twisted up thoughtfully while she fingered my curls one more time, "You're right. It looks great. Am I good or what?"

"No really, stop before your head gets too big for your tiny little shoulders," I smiled at my adorable best friend.

Alice's twinkling laughed filled the air as she elegantly twirled around on the crowded sidewalk with her face turned up towards the gray sky. I loved that about her, she was so fun-loving and carefree. "So what's the plan for tonight?" Alice asked with a bright smile.

"Well," I sighed hesitantly, knowing she would throw a fit, "I was actually thinking about going to the gym. I just need—"

"Isabella! You are _not_ going to the gym after you just had your hair styled, a facial, and a fresh mani-pedi!" Alice stomped her foot stubbornly, earning herself some stares from a few strangers.

"Look, I'll be careful! I just need some time to relax. I wasn't going to do anything strenuous, just some yoga or pilates maybe…" I pleaded with her.

"Nope," Alice said, popping the "p", as she grabbed my wrist.

I groaned in protest but yielded anyway. I knew there was no fighting her. She would probably trap me in her apartment with unhealthy sweets and a chick flick. She even tried to bribe me with Trophy Cupcakes—like a mother would tell her crying child. She knew their cupcakes were my one weakness, that evil pixie! I complained the entire way—even attempting to make a run for it more than a few times—but she had a surprisingly strong grip and continued to drag me all the way to her car.

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"You can do this Bella, you can do this…" I chanted to myself over and over again. I had probably been sitting in my car for a good ten minutes giving myself a pep talk.

It was only a matter of time before someone tapped on my window. Or worse, it would be Alice tapping on my window. It really wasn't her fault, I had asked her to help me get back at Edward. But she did force me to put on these damn four inch stilettos and the black dress that was probably shorter than regulation length. In her defense, it's actually cute. But she'd probably look a million times better in it than I ever would. It was too fashion forward for me, with its form fitting structure, high collared neckline, and ruffles.

_You asked for this, Bella. Now stop being a coward and grow a backbone!_

"Bella, what the hell are you doing?" I groaned at the familiar muffled voice outside my window. She had found me. I sighed dismally and got out of my car, pouting like a two year old. Alice giggled at my expression.

"Oh, stop it. You look hot!" She clucked excitedly.

"The dress is too tight, and the heels—Alice, they're a death trap!" I exclaimed, taking one off and shoving it in her face. "I will surely trip and my genius operation will fail."

"Relax," Alice sighed, pushing my hand away, "It's like a pencil skirt, it's supposed to be tight. And like I said, you look hot. You'll be perfectly fine today, okay? Some confidence, please," She took my shoe and placed it back on my foot.

"See! All better now. And your hair looks super cute. It's not too over the top, but not too plain—just natural. You should curl it like this more often," Alice smiled at me widely. She could instill confidence in anyone with a simple compliment and a flash of her pearly whites. No wonder she was so good at her job.

"Come on," I grumbled, "Let's just get this over with."

"That's the spirit!"

We made our way out of the parking garage and into the expansive lobby. The loud sound of my heels clicking on the hard floor echoed against the marbled walls and reminded me to be cautious. If these shoes didn't kill me first they'd surely gauge someone's eyes out. On our way up in the elevator, Alice expertly applied a fresh coat of lipstick on me, in spite of my objection. The elevators dinged ominously and opened to my floor.

"Good luck," Alice practically shoved me out, "I'll stop by later. You'll have the boys eating out of the palm of your hand, or rather, you-know-who," She winked at me before the elevator doors clanged shut. I blinked and gave myself few seconds to gather up my senses.

After I had unofficially declared war on Edward Cullen, I began preparing myself for my first operation. In this war, the weapons weren't missiles or firearms; they were the newest hairstyles, high heels, and flirty dresses. You didn't defeat your enemy by wounding them physically; you had to charm your way into their arms and under their skin. Edward didn't think I could have any man I wanted, huh? I'll sure prove him wrong. With a new surge of confidence, I strode toward my office. I wasn't sure how I did it, but I thanked all that is holy for allowing me to walk without so much of a stumble. I even earned a few whistles from some bystanders.

_They weren't being sarcastic… They weren't being sarcastic…_

As I rounded the corner, I spotted my target not too far away talking to a few coworkers with his back turned to me. Perfect! I'd have to walk past them to get to my office. He'll never see me coming. There was no doubt it was Edward—tall, slender, signature bronze, messy sex-hair, designer suit, muscled, fit as hell…

_Stop! You're_ _supposed to dazzle _him_, remember?_

I shook my head, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "Alright, Mr. Perfect," I whispered to myself, "prepare to eat your words."

Primping my hair and straightening my dress out one last time, I commenced my first operation. Putting on an air of confidence, I strutted to my office with my chin held high. I felt myself wobble, but thankfully I didn't fall. For once I was trying to cause a scene. Normally I left that to the attention starved secretaries and interns. But now it was my turn. A silence fell over the group as I walked by, and I knew I was turning heads. I hoped it was in a good way.

"Ms. Swan," Edward's low, velvety voice called out to me. I tried to ignore how extremely sexy he sounded and stopped in my tracks. A smug smile crept over my face.

_Yes, I've got you now!_

I turned around leisurely to face the group. Among them was Jessica, who was gaping at me, Tyler, who was unashamedly looking me up and down, and Mike, who just stared at me in shock, as well as a few others I recognized from around the office. I saved the best for last. Edward looked me straight in the eyes with his arms crossed and half of his mouth turned up in an arrogant crooked grin.

_That cocky bastard…_

"Yes, Mr. Cullen?"I replied politely.

"Are you sure it's safe for you to be wearing what you are?" Edward cocked his head to the side, still wearing that sexy, heartbreaking crooked grin of his. I prayed and hoped that this was his way of flirting.

"I'm sorry?" I asked, blinking in confusion, trying to play up the innocence.

"I have some very important documents and family heirlooms on my desk, so try not to trip around there. You were clearly over estimating your abilities when you put on _those _shoes. In heels that high, you're a hazard to the entire office," Edward taunted as his grin turned to a full blown wicked smile. The group broke into hushed laughs and snickers, it didn't help I already had a reputation as the office klutz.

I quietly chuckled—making sure to look Edward straight in his bright green eyes and giving him a genuinely fake smile—before turning around and proceeding down the hall. I could feel Edward's gaze boring into the back of my head all the way to my office. After I had my door closed and I knew I was safe, I sunk down on the floor and cursed to myself.

Operation one: failed.

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My plan had backfired. Edward made sure to mock and torture me every chance he got. He had me running around the entire building all morning gathering documents and running errands. I even began to wonder if he was just making them up to increase my chances of seriously injuring myself. I knew I was going to have painful blisters by morning. It didn't matter, I had to take on the workload whether I wanted to or not. _Stupid insensible boss from hell…_

Nearing lunch time, I bustled around my office preparing Edward's folder for the one o'clock meeting. Having organized it perfectly, I proudly gathered his files up and headed for his office. As I reached my door, it opened abruptly and I fell backwards dropping all of the papers. Of course.

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry Bella!" Jessica's shrill voice exclaimed.

_At least it was just Jess_, I thought bitterly as I gritted my teeth and began to scoop up the scattered files. Jessica bent down to help me as she repeatedly uttered apologizes.

"It's alright Jess," I sighed, picking up the last piece of paper, "Did you need something?"

"Oh! Yes, sorry. I almost forgot," Jessica laughed, helping me up from the floor. "You have a special delivery. It's at my desk," She winked at me.

"I…wait. What?"

Jessica smiled and nodded eagerly. That could only mean one thing.

"By the way, I think you look great in that dress," Jessica squealed before leaving me alone. She was an expert at sucking up so I wasn't sure if she was telling the truth or not.

I dropped the papers on my desk and went to get my "special" delivery. Sitting obnoxiously atop Jessica's desk was an oversized arrangement of roses in an expensive looking glass vase. There were a lot of roses. Maybe two dozen, though I'd rather not count. And they were red. There was no way I could pass it off as a gift from a relative. I didn't exactly like getting flowers. Sure they were pretty at first, but afterwards you just leave them on your counter to rot away and die and stink up your apartment.

There was a low impressed whistle behind, "Holy shit…"

Tyler stood behind me with wide eyes. "Who are they from?" Mike inquired, poking his head from around him. I shrugged my shoulders. Jessica came back to her desk and fervently admired the bouquet. Great, I was gathering a crowd.

"Well, aren't you going to read the card?" Jessica asked, eyeing the arrangement. I could tell it was taking a tremendous amount of self control on her part to not grab the card herself. Truth is, I was afraid to read it. Hesitantly, I plucked out the impending piece of paper stuck in the arrangement. I immediately recognized Jacob's scrawled handwriting. There were only two words scribed on it:

_I'm sorry._

That means he had gone to the shop personally. I blinked once in shock. Am I dreaming? Were these really from Jake? They had to be. I knew his handwriting… A low chuckle interrupted my thoughts.

"Someone have a secret admirer?" Edward stood there with arms crossed and a raised eyebrow. The crowd began to thin and soon it was just me, Jessica, and Edward.

"I hate getting flowers," I exaggerated, sticking the card back into the plastic fork.

Jessica stared at me as if I were mentally unstable. Edward just laughed quietly, shaking his head. "And why don't you enjoy getting flowers?" He asked.

"Simple. Flowers are temporary, bothersome, and unoriginal. It's an artificial and meaningless way to express your feelings for someone," I shrugged. Jessica continued to stare at me strangely.

"I'd rather get a potted plant. At least they last longer," I continued, scooting the arrangement closer to me and preparing to heave it all the way to my office. It was rather heavy, I wondered if the vase was real crystal. Edward pushed me aside and swept up the entire thing effortlessly.

"Thanks," I muttered disgruntled. Show off.

Edward was silent, wearing a smug grin the entire way to my office. I cleared a spot on my shelf and gestured for him to set it down. "Great," I sighed, "now I have something to stare at for the rest of the week."

"So who are they from?" Edward asked as he ran his long fingers along the surface of the crystalline vase.

"Someone's nosy. Why do you care, anyway?" I murmured almost to myself.

He snatched up the card and scanned over it with his inquisitive green eyes. He snorted and threw it back onto the shelf. "Looks like he's feeling really sorry, are you going to call him now and tell him he's forgiven?" Edward mocked, leaning against the wall.

"No," I snapped angrily, "I don't care how many flowers he sends me. He can't expect me to automatically go running back into his arms."

Edward chuckled softly, "See, that's the attitude you_ should've_ had. Play hard to get. Make him work for your love and attention."

"Yeah, thanks for the advice, a bit late now, huh?" I sunk into my chair.

Edward paced around my tiny office, with his hands casually placed in his pockets, seeming to look at all the insignificant details. I didn't have very much in here, the only personal items being framed pictures of my mom, dad, and Alice and I. I had the picture of Jake swiftly removed. Edward had his eyebrows pinched in—his signature thinking face—and his full lips were pursed. His cute, soft, kissable…

"I never noticed how small your office is," Edward mused, his smooth voice interrupting my train of thought. "Ever think about moving?"

"Huh? No! I like it. It's simple. I don't need much in here. I would never move, so don't even think about it."

"You're an interesting woman, Ms. Swan," Edward snickered, "And very stubborn." He walked by my desk on his way out and tapped the still shuffled mess of files, "These better be done soon, or you won't get a lunch."


	9. Hot and Wet

**I always seem to update in the dead of night. I can't help it, I'm a night owl!**

**Thanks everyone for all the reviews, story alerts, and favorite stories. They keep growing every day! But mostly thank you for taking the time to read my story :) I had a little bit of fun writing this chapter... hope I didn't over-do it.**

**Okay, I hate these stupid author's notes, too. So please continue...**

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The red roses were just the beginning.

Day after day I received more and more flower arrangements. I pitied Lance, our internal delivery boy, for having to carry all of them up to my floor. There were daisies, carnations, peach roses (my favorite kind of roses); my office was getting crowded and began to look, and smell, like a floral shop. It got so bad, I was spending half of my days in the accounting department in my good friend Angela's office. The flowers were beautiful and suited my personality, but it only showed how much Jake new about me and how little he understood me. The more flowers he sent the more bitter I became. Did he honestly think he could win me over that quick?

If everything Edward had said about me was true, I guess so.

"Ugh, Alice if only you could see my office. It makes me want to puke," I gagged, talking to a sick Alice over the phone. The week was finally over and I missed her perky self around the office. Edward had really laid down a thick work load—not to mention the taunting—the entire week and I was ready to kick back and relax.

"The boy's desperate," Alice laughed, her voice sounding a bit stuffy.

"No, really? Well after what he did to me…"

"You don't have to talk about it. It even makes _me_ mad just thinking about it!" Alice growled.

"Thanks," I sighed, stepping into my car, "Hey, I'll stop by and give you your soup before I head to the gym, alright? I got your favorite!"

"Baked potato? Bella you're the best!" Alice squealed before breaking into a fit of coughs.

"Okay, okay get some rest," I laughed.

"Who needs boyfriends, anyway? I have you to cheer me up and bring me soup when I'm sick."

"I missed you all week. I'll come over and watch a movie with you after the gym, okay?" I offered eagerly. I really did miss her.

"You're always going to the gym," Alice whined grumpily. "I bet you just want to go to see Edward."

Normally I would've protested and given her a witty comeback, but the mention of my boss's name threw me off guard. All of a sudden, a brilliant idea I should've thought of before hit me. It was time for phase two of my grand operation.

"Hello?" Alice sang through the phone to get my attention.

"Alice, do you have any workout clothes I can borrow?"

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I fidgeted in the snug tank top and skintight cropped yoga pants Alice had loaned to me. We were almost the same size, but she was still a smidge smaller. I silently cursed whoever was the inventor of spandex.

I stalked out of the locker rooms to look for my victim. I began a full survey of the gym, starting with the weights and reluctantly looking towards the treadmills. Maybe he wasn't here; there goes another failed operation. Defeated, I walked past the large viewing window that framed the expansive blue lap pool. The chlorinated water seemed oddly inviting and I regretted not bringing the proper attire to go swimming. I kept my eyes trained on the undulating water through the clear glass longingly. As I approached the entrance to the pool, the cold metal door suddenly swung open and knocked me in the head, hard.

"Oh!" I gasped as I lost my balance and began to sway back. My earphones flew out and I grasped the hand that had swiftly shot out towards me. It was warm, strong, and wet. Two guesses as to who it was.

"Bella are you alright?" the familiar velvety voice murmured urgently.

"Ouch," was my genius response. I clutched the top of my head with one hand while firmly gripping my rescuer with the other. There was a dull ringing in my ears and I could already feel a blush creeping up my cheeks. Well, at least I found him. Too bad I had to embarrass myself in the process.

Surprised to not hear so much of a chuckle from Edward, I looked up at him and instantly regretted doing so. I didn't dare look him in the eyes—mostly because I was too busy ogling his bare chest. It took all the willpower I could muster to keep my jaw clamped shut to prevent it from hitting the floor. I gulped nervously. His muscled body was a colossal tribute to his gorgeous face. Why did he always have to wear that stuffy suit again? His arms were toned to perfection and I resisted the urge to stroke his rock hard abs. A sexy sheen of water droplets covered his smooth, light skin—dear Lord, he just stepped out of the pool. _Breathe Bella breathe! _As my eyes roamed over his body, I noticed a jagged scar that ran underneath his left collarbone.

Edward's silky voice interrupted my thoughts and diverted my attention, "How's your head?"

I forced myself to look up into his smoldering green gaze. Edward was eyeing me curiously, still gripping my arm. His lips were drawn tight. His wet bronze hair was a shade darker and tousled more so than usual—which wasn't a bad thing. There was also a hint of some emotion written in his eyes and his face. Was it concern? Before I could verify my claim, Edward raised an eyebrow incredulously and waited for my response.

"I-I'm fine," I stuttered and bowed my head as my cheeks blazed a darker shade.

"What am I going to do with you Ms. Swan," Edward shook his head side to side. "You're a walking disaster."

I didn't think it was possible, but my face began to burn even more with a humiliating flame. I quietly excused myself and walked around him as quickly as I could manage. _That couldn't have been any more catastrophic_…

If I thought operation one was a failure, this one failed miserably—crashing and burning in a horrific blazing fire.In one of the exercise rooms not too far from where I stood, a yoga session was about to begin. Desperately needing a diversion, I strode into the room and grabbed one of the loaner mats propped against the far wall.

Thirty minutes later, the instructor dismissed us for a ten minute break. I decided to ditch the second half of the session and ducked out of the room quietly.

After a minute or two of standing and pondering as to where to go, I sighed and resolved to go for a jog on the treadmills. I liked to run, but I only felt safe doing so on a machine. As proven earlier, I can't walk, let alone run, anywhere else without hitting, tripping over, or crashing into someone or something. Edward was right. I _was_ a walking, breathing, living disaster waiting to happen. I trudged all the way to the room containing the treadmills, fiddling with my old iPod shuffle. Absentmindedly, I stepped up onto the first machine I saw and begin setting the controls.

"You look like you've had a rough week," a smooth voice spoke to my left.

I jumped startled, even though I knew it was just Edward. He was grinning crookedly and already jogging at a slow pace. Thankfully he was wearing a shirt. I gave him a small smile as my machine churned to life and began to move my feet.

"Oh, yeah, like you wouldn't believe. My boss was a _real_ pain this week. He just smothered me with work, day after day," I exaggerated, jokingly.

"Wow. He sounds like a real jerk," Edward smiled.

I grinned, pleased that he was playing along. "No. Not all the time," I replied truthfully.

Edward laughed quietly and then a comfortable silence fell between us. It had been awhile since we had done this, and it was strangely calming—funny how I could only tolerate Edward in this setting. It was almost as if he were another person here. My muscles were already relaxed from the yoga session so I jogged with ease at a moderate pace. I removed my earphones and listened to the disjointed rhythm created by the pounding of our feet. As we continued, I could feel a serene smile slowly spreading across my face.

Several minutes must have passed before I noticed Edward watching me from the corner of his eyes with a smirk. I pinched my eyebrows and returned my gaze forward. Feeling self-conscious, my cheeks began to turn a light shade of pink.

"Don't you know it's rude to stare?" I remarked sarcastically.

"I'm simply noticing your wardrobe upgrade," Edward chuckled. I began to blush an even brighter shade of pink.

"Yeah, well I guess I'm tired of wearing all of my ex-boyfriend's clothes," I replied bitterly. "Just the scent of him provokes my desire to throw something heavy out my window. Unfortunately, my wallet can't afford that kind of stress relief so I just threw away all of his belongings," I shrugged apathetically.

"Pity. And what do all those flowers make you want to do?" Edward mocked. I gritted my teeth in anger—both at Jacob and Edward. _They make me want to smash all of those pretty vases into his pretty little face_, I thought maliciously.

He suppressed laughter, "I suppose that means I don't want to know."

I smiled innocently, "You probably don't." _But I'll save a vase for you if you'd like_…

"I'm presuming his plans to win back your heart aren't exactly working?" Edward's green eyes danced with amusement. I laughed a short, cold, mocking laugh. I didn't need Jake around anymore. I've become a strong independent woman. There was no way I would let him come waltzing back into my life. At least, that's what I keep telling myself…

"Not even in the slightest," I retorted proudly. "He hasn't even attempted to make contact with me. No calls, no nothing. Just keeps sending those stupid flowers. Coward…"

Edward snickered, "I see some of me is finally rubbing off on you."

"Is that a compliment or an insult?" I replied, grinning shamelessly up at him.

"Charming," Edward muttered. I giggled under my breath and continued jogging. After awhile, I felt the sweat beginning to pool on my neck so I stopped my machine. At least I wasn't short of breath yet. Edward, of course, looked perfectly at ease.

I leaned against my treadmill, enjoying the view a little too much. Was he seriously not tired yet? He was already running when I showed up and he was _still _going. He also had his cute serious face on. "Jeez, stop showing off. What do you need all that strength and endurance for? I bet you could last for hours," I commented nonchalantly before realizing what I had just said could be misconstrued into a sexual innuendo.

Edward gaped at me with a wide smile while I cringed and internally slapped myself. _Brilliant. Just brilliant Bella. Such a bad thing to say to your insanely sexy boss…_

"I didn't mean—what I meant to say," I struggled to explain myself. My cheeks began to blush pink for the umpteenth time today while Edward just broke into a fit of laughter with a smug grin slapped on his face. I gave up and shut my mouth in defeat.

"I can see why this ex-boyfriend of yours wants you so desperately, Ms. Swan," Edward smiled sarcastically, running his hands through his hair. "You're absolutely endearing, full of grace…articulate."

He tried, unsuccessfully, to smother a laugh. "Stop it," I demanded, shoving him lightly. His arms were hard as rocks.

Edward shook his head at me, still wearing a sly grin, as he stopped his machine and stepped off. My cheeks were still flushed with embarrassment so I grabbed my iPod and started walking away. Escape was futile—Edward easily kept pace with me.

"Don't you have someone else to antagonize?" I quipped breathlessly.

Edward simply shrugged his shoulders and headed towards the weights. I decided that I'd rather have company than be alone and followed his lead. He glanced back at me and his musical laughter filled the air. "It's a Friday night. Don't_ you_ have somewhere else to be?"

He was right—I'm pathetic. "I could say the same to you," I frowned in response, sitting on a bench.

"If you recall, I'm not from around here so I'm not exactly familiar with the city. I've gone out a few times, but it's rather dull," said Edward, picking up a few weights. I let my mind wander as Edward continued his workout. After awhile I voiced one of my random thoughts aloud without thinking. "I really need to get out more often," I sighed. Edward gazed at me questionably, mid lift.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm just mumbling to myself," I laughed uneasily. He set down his weights and began stretching. I looked away for my own sake. Needing a distraction, I jumped up and walked over to a weight bench. An idea suddenly sprang into my mind.

"Hey, do you think you could help me?" I asked innocently. Edward pursed his lips and glided over to me.

"With what exactly?" he spoke in a smooth voice.

"Hmm, I've never lifted before and you seem pretty knowledgeable. Do you think you can you spot me? Help me bench press?" I blinked a few times and smiled sweetly.

He seemed to see right through me but proceeded anyway. "Alright, lie down," he demanded.

"Okay, okay." I complied.

"It's really quite easy, but with you I'm not so sure. Everything is dangerous with you," he rolled his eyes at me. "The bar itself is 45 pounds. Just promise not to drop the weights on me or anything. These fingers," he wiggled his hand above me, "are precious."

"Oh really," I scoffed, "What kind of magical things can your fingers do?"

Edward raised an eyebrow at me and a haughty grin crept over his face. Once again, I realized too late the stupid things that were spilling from my mouth. I actually hit myself in the head this time and covered my hot face in embarrassment. My cheeks were undoubtedly red. "Lots of things, I can show you if you'd like," Edward answered in a silky arrogant voice.

"Excuse me?" I squeaked.

"Sure. I've even composed a few of my own works before. Didn't you know I could play the piano?" Edward chuckled, reaching over to grab a few weights. He was grinning crookedly as he attached a few of them to the bar. I couldn't help but be at least a _little_ impressed by his claim. He really was Mr. Perfect wasn't he? God, who am I kidding, he was even farther out of my league than I originally thought.

"You've never mentioned it before," I grumbled. "I guess you_ will_ have to show me sometime."

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"Are you still refusing to teach me the rules?" I laughed in disbelief as Edward and I walked down the sidewalk. The cool September evening air was crisp and refreshing.

"I already told you. It'd be _impossible_. I have no strong foundation to build off of," Edward shook his head smiling crookedly. I pouted and crossed my arms angrily.

"Ouch," I winced at the movement. The lactic acid was already starting to build up in my arms. I stretched them out in front of me feeling my joints creaking and my muscles groan in protest. Edward gave me an amused look. So maybe lifting weights was a bad idea—so much for that scheme. Why did everything I try have to blow up in my face in the end?

"I'm sorry if I seem desperate, but I am. I've always been the one to chase after a man if I was interested. How much more desperate can a woman get?" I frowned at myself.

Edward shrugged, "Admitting you have a problem is always the first step."

I gave him a sideways glare before continuing, "I mean, so what I've always been the one to make the first move. It's not such a bad thing, is it? I mean, yes, I'm usually the one who gets her heart broken, but it shows that I'm not afraid to put my feelings out there. I'm not scared to go after what I want."

"Women don't know what they want," Edward sneered with a hint of resentment.

"Can I tell you a secret?" I winked at him. His delicate green eyes were twinkling with curiosity, but his face showed little interest.

"We _don't_ know what we want half the time. But I think this time I do. Maybe, I want a man to come after me. Make the first move. For once, I want to be the _chasee_, not the chaser. So you have to teach me."

We had reached my car and stood there awkwardly and silently side by side, the cool Seattle air tickling the sensitive skin on the back of my neck. I don't know what had tempted me to spill the contents of my heart to my boss (of all people!), but it was too late. I had already pushed my heart onto my sleeve.

Edward wore an expression that was half amused and half contemplating. "You know Ms. Swan, I like you." I raised my eyebrows in shock. That was quick.

"It's true. There's something so pathetic about you, you're like a sick puppy." Or not. I grimaced.

"But I've already made my decision. You'll have to figure this out on your own," he smirked. "Besides, we made a deal and I'm hoping you'll surprise me in the end."

"This is an emergency!" I pleaded, "If you haven't noticed, my love life is a mess."

"Then don't focus on your love life. Focus on something else," he suggested coolly. Then, out of nowhere, the little light bulb above my head flickered on. There was no way this new operation of mine could fail. My eyes were wide and a broad smile began to creep across my face. I had every confidence it would work. I was surely capable of this much…

Edward, seeming to notice my epiphany, spoke quietly, "What is it Ms. Swan?"

"I have a proposal for you," I smiled up at him. He tilted his head slightly, gesturing for me to continue.


	10. Sweet Tooth

***Yawn* Here I am again, updating in the middle of the night again...**

**I just got back in town because my family went on vacation. The time change was a bit disorienting and I couldn't sleep so I decided to finish up this chapter and post it. Keep all the reviews and support coming. Thanks everyone!**

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"You want Bella to do what?" Les asked skeptically, his voice hard and doubtful. I sat silent and stock still, avoiding his questioning stare. Edward had his back turn toward us, gazing out his over-sized window at the panoramic view. His stance was confident and firm. I could only imagine the smirk playing on his lips at the moment.

"May I remind you it was her idea? I merely have no objections," Edward replied in a cool, smooth voice. I could feel Les return his probing eyes on to me, but I kept my head bowed.

"Okay, so you're _suggesting_ that she head the Masen Project?" Les, again, sounded unconvinced. I repressed an annoyed groan.

"Is there something wrong with that? She has every right to," Edward challenged, turning to face us.

Les seemed to be having an internal battle. Having been "the man" for so many years, it must've been surreal being trumped, especially by a younger man —might I add a tremendously attractive and charming younger man. Les blinked a few times and rubbed his shiny bald spot. I never realized how much he had aged since I started working at Onyx. I guess I always saw him as my boss, old cranky Les.

"Well, nothing. Nothing, I suppose. It's just that Eric is quite familiar with the project and has done extensive research for it," Les motioned to Eric Yorkie, who sat quiet and smiling next to him.

I grimaced at the reminder of Eric. His dark greasy hair framed his thin face. Eric was always a bit squirrely, but extremely smart. He was always sweet to me, sometimes too sweet. He had even asked me out a few times, but I had kindly turned him down due to my then boyfriend—stupid Jacob… I could remember Eric chattering excitedly about being appointed to the new project. And here I was, snatching away all of his glory.

Edward quirked an eyebrow and crossed his arms. His toned muscles were visibly rippling underneath the thin material of his shirt. A dreamy vision of a wet, shirtless Edward popped into my mind. I quickly deflated it and returned my gaze back to the floor.

"Do you still want to head the project, Eric?" Edward asked in a low musical voice.

"Yes, sir," Eric replied eagerly.

"Alright then, you both are aware of the Morningstar deal I assume?" Eric and I nodded in response. "Have you both made drafts of the contract for the meeting later this week? We are planning on finalizing the deal in the immediate future."

"Of course," Eric smiled proudly, "I've been working on it all last week."

"Good. And you, Ms. Swan?" Edward turned to gaze at me dubiously, raising an eyebrow. I was a little miffed he doubted me.

"Yes," I replied sternly, "I did my research on the project over the weekend and added the final pieces to my draft this morning."

"Perfect. Then I shall have a look at both of your drafts. Whoever has the better one, will head the project with me," Edward smiled politely at Eric and gave me a look that said "you better not disappoint Ms. Swan". Les, seeing this was all out of his hands, sunk back in his chair and absentmindedly shook his head slowly from side to side. Eric pulled out his draft and handed it to Edward.

"Mine is already on your desk, sir," I motioned across the room. Edward made his way behind his desk and began to compare the contracts.

"Wait, you're going to do it now?" I spoke much more forcefully than I intended to. Les gave me a wary glance.

"Yes, is there a problem?" Edward eyed me.

"Well, no, but I'd feel much more comfortable if I weren't in the same room as you while you reviewed them," I lowered my voice sheepishly.

"No, you can stay right there. It shouldn't be long." He lowered his head again.

"But, sir,"

"Do you lack confidence in your draft, Ms. Swan?" He gave me a stern look.

"No, but—"

"Then humor me," Edward's smooth voice rang with finality.

I tried hard to calm my nerves, but I could only seem to concentrate on Edward's stern, pinched eyebrows and hard pressed lips which only made me more edgy. I watched as his face remained unchanging while the dim sunlight from the window casted dancing shadows across his smooth perfect features. Eric seemed perfectly at ease and Les was still silently shaking his head. Maybe fifteen minutes had passed, maybe three days, before Edward finally closed both of the black folders and pushed them away. Both of his hands were folded underneath his chin as he gazed at the edge of his desk thoughtfully.

He finally looked up after another fourteen hours as a crooked grin began to sweep his face. He turned to look straight at me and gave me a subtle wink.

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I laughed without a care, twirling around once as Edward and I walked towards the company car waiting on the curb. The Seattle sun was unusually bright, matching my lighthearted mood, and gleamed off the white pavement. We had just left the Morningstar meeting and I was extremely proud of my handiwork. A surge of overconfidence pumped through my veins and it took all of my self-restraint to not skip down the sidewalk. For one thing, I would surely earn some stares, and for another, I could hardly _walk_ straight in these heels and would probably embarrass myself.

"Think it went well?" Edward chuckled sarcastically beside me.

"Well? It couldn't have gone any better! My first deal and it went perfectly," I smiled proudly, stretching out my arms to let the warm rays kiss my skin.

"After you," Edward smiled, gesturing towards the open car door. I ducked into the back, the cool leather seats contrasted starkly to the shining sunrays. It gave me goose bumps. Edward slid in smoothly next to me and instructed the driver to take us back to the office.

"I hate to be presumptuous, but did you see the look on their faces? Don't you think I did a great job? We might as well have sealed the deal today," I declared, a little smug.

Edward shrugged, "Don't assume anything until the contract's signed."

"Mood killer…" I muttered quietly, turning to gaze out my window. The sunlight didn't look so harsh through the heavily tinted glass. I sighed, wishing I could roll down the window and stick my head out. It was days like these I missed Arizona most. I missed the hot sun, the dry expansive deserts, and the smell of dusty and baked atmosphere.

"Let's go to Trophy," I exclaimed on a whim. I was hyped up and giddy like a little kid, why not fuel it with more sugar? Edward tore his gaze away from the _Seattle Times_ to stare at me incredulously.

"Let's go _where_?" he asked cautiously.

"Trophy Cupcakes!" I sighed exasperatedly. "Please? It's not every day I pass through Wallingford. They're not even expecting us back at the office for another hour. Even _you_ can't deny the meeting went well, so why not celebrate? _Please_?" I pouted.

Edward studied my face with a critical look, his dazzling green eyes flickering with amusement. "Fine, I suppose. You are such a child sometimes," he chuckled quietly, folding the crinkly newspaper.

I beamed victoriously up at him then tapped the driver's shoulder and instructed, "To Wallingford Center, please."

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"Ooh and I think I'll have another red velvet one, please," I smacked my lips excitedly.

Edward stood behind me, undoubtedly shaking his head or laughing at my childishness. The warm scent of coffee, fresh mouth-watering butter cream, and heavenly chocolates mingled in the air, surely teasing any passerby.

"Alright, anything else I can possibly get you?" the pretty blonde behind the counter batted her eyelashes. Though I was the one ordering, I knew for a fact she was directing her message to Edward. I discreetly rolled my eyes and responded with a polite "no thank you" as I stepped in front of him and reached inside my purse to grab my wallet. Edward stopped me, snatching my wrist, and stepped towards the counter.

"Please, Ms. Swan. It's my treat," he grinned at me, pulling out an intimidating black card.

"Oh, really?" I smiled mischievously. "I was going to order another dozen for the office! That's so thoughtful of you, Mr. Cullen," I patted him on the chest and directed the blonde which ones to package.

When we were finally safe in the car, I eagerly plucked a sweet looking red velvet cupcake from the white box in my lap that was just waiting to be opened. I swiped a finger in the perfectly shaped dollop of cream cheese frosting for a taste. An audible "mm" sound slipped through my lips. Edward sat on his side of the car, looking a bit defeated, with the box of dozen cupcakes sitting precariously on his lap.

"Hey, you should really hold on to the box. I put precious cargo in your care," I chastised him, waggling a frost layered finger at him.

A ghostly laugh fell from his lips as he made a show of placing his hands on either side of the box. "There, happy?"

"Mmhm," I nodded, getting the last bit of frosting off the top of the delicious brown morsel. "I've got my cupcake fix for the week. I think I'm good."

Edward studied me carefully, like I was a strange exhibit at the zoo. I ignored him and continued to gobble every single precious crumb of the red velvet cake. As I was licking the paper liner clean, Edward's musical laughter brought my attention back to reality.

"What's so funny?" I glared up at him between nibbles.

"_You_," Edward scoffed as if the answer was so obvious. "You ate that thing—no _attacked _it as if you were trapped on a deserted island for days without food and were just discovered days from death."

"These things are like drugs," I waved the empty liner at him. "Have you ever had a Trophy cupcake before?"

Edward sneered at my poor analogy and continued to gaze out his respective window. I waited for his answer, but he remained silent. I took that as a no. "Oh, you haven't!" I gasped.

Quickly, I removed a cupcake from my personal store (_I'll regret it later_) and all but shoved it in his face. "Humor me," I quoted him.

Edward snorted and waved it away coolly, not even slightly tempted, but I held it out persistently. "Please?" I implored. He gave me one look before rolling his eyes. He took the cupcake from me and stared at it for a second before peeling back the liner and hesitantly taking a bite. I waited for his reaction anxiously, studying the way the muscles on his faced moved while he chewed slowly. I watched as a lump slithered down his throat and he pursed his lips thoughtfully.

"Not bad," he admitted and took another bite.

"I told you so," I mocked in a sing-song voice.

"By the way," Edward said in between bites, "I didn't get to tell you how awed I was with you today. You really did do a great job. I won't lie, I doubted you at first, but you surprised me. As always..." his voice trailed away at the end.

I knew what that meant, _Operation Impress the Boss: Success_.

My first win in the war. I even got my favorite cupcakes as a side dish for my big fat plate of Victory. But I was too stunned to be thrilled at my accomplishment. I stared at him, eyes wide with shock. Edward Cullen just complimented me. Did the butter cream frosting have some sort of Make-Edward-Nice potion mixed in it? If so, I would gladly make the voyage across town to get him cupcakes every single day. He glanced at me and chortled silently. I whispered a "thanks," but I doubt he heard it.

"So, which one's your favorite?" Edward motioned to my small box full of an assortment of flavors.

With a smug smile, I replied, "I'm sorry Mr. Cullen, but good looks won't always buy you secrets."

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As time progressed, the flower deliveries died down—sort of. There wasn't a new arrangement waiting for me at the front desk _every_ day, but they came at random. I wasn't as obvious about my growing anger and annoyance anymore, but it was slowly bubbling beneath the surface. I pitied the day I would erupt in front of poor, innocent Lance the delivery boy. It was Jake's fault.

_He sure is a determined little fucker_.

It was just another calm, slow Monday morning as I made my way to the office. Everyone trudged to work wearily for the start of the week.

With no sign of flowers on Jessica's desk, my mood lifted a bit (as much as it could for a Monday) and I slinked into my office. As I set my purse onto my desk, something fell off and landed with a soft thud on the carpet. Too lazy to pick it up, I figured it was just an insignificant piece of paper and resolved to get it later. Thinking I was in the clear for deliveries for the day, I sunk comfortably into my chair to relax for a minute before Edward or Les burst in to bark directions at me.

The door opened quietly—too quietly to be anyone I should worry about—and Alice strolled in lazily. Looking a bit hung over, she yawned delicately and slumped into a chair across from me.

"I hate work," She mumbled quietly.

"W-o-w," I marveled, stretching the word into three syllables. "Can someone please take a picture? Alice Brandon is actually _tired_. Folks, this is a once in a lifetime moment."

"Oh, hush Isabella," Alice groaned, crumpling a sticky note from my desk and throwing it at me. It hit me right in between the eyes.

I frowned and threw the offensive purple note towards the trash can across the room. I missed.

"Why didn't you get me one?" Alice whined suddenly.

"Get you one of what?" I grumbled as I made my way back into my chair from the trash can. Alice pointed accusingly at a white cardboard box sitting casually near the edge of my desk by my purse. There was a neat miniature chocolate brown ribbon bow atop it along with a familiar blue sticker.

"You went to Trophy and didn't get me anything," Alice jutted out her lower lip.

"No I didn't," I said slowly, picking up the box. I lifted the lid and found a single alluring treat waiting inside. It was a Chocolate Graham Cracker cupcake—my favorite.

"Did you put this here?" I gasped quietly.

"Hm?" Alice lifted her head up, seeming to have just woken up from a nap. She was definitely too tired. It couldn't have been her. But only one other person knew that this was my favorite. I gritted my teeth and closed the box, storming out of my office.

"Wait, at least save me a bite," Alice's shrill voice sang as she trailed behind me. On my way to the front desk (of course) I nearly ran straight into Edward. Normally I would've stopped to ogle at his perfection—he was wearing that shirt again, the one that hinted at his perfectly sculpted muscles, damn him!—before delivering a witty comeback. But I didn't care how immature or stupid my reaction to this small gift was. The box was burning my hand. I knew it was from Jake and I wanted it gone. Fast.

"Ms. Swan is turning down a Trophy Cupcake. Is this the Apocalypse?" Edward mused, eyeing the white box.

"Ha ha, laugh all you want, but I just want to get rid of it. Now if you'll excuse me…" I maneuvered myself around a grinning Edward and continued towards Jessica sitting behind the counter. Alice was still following me at a sluggish pace, letting another yawn stretch her perfect little face.

"Here you go, Jess," I breathed, nearly slamming the innocent cupcake on her desk.

Looking startled, Jessica glanced up from her desk and took in my hysteric state. "Thanks, I guess? What's this for?" she picked up the box to inspect it.

"Oh, just because," I laughed uneasily.

Alice came up beside me and leaned against the counter, seeming a bit preoccupied with her phone to really even care to pay attention. Jessica shrugged, deciding to accept my gift despite the suspicious circumstances. I gave myself a minute to catch my breath.

"Oh!" Alice perked up suddenly. "Bella, I forget to tell you! I set you up on a blind date for tonight." Her eyes were sparkling with excitement. Now _there's_ the Alice I knew.

"You _what_?" I glared at her. I thanked my lucky stars Edward wasn't here to mock me.

"Oh, can't you just say thank you? Besides you're single. You're hot. You're on the market. Why not? Even if he isn't Mr. Right, it'll still be fun. Please say you'll do it," Alice pleaded with an animated smile.

"What about your ex?" Jessica interjected, already taking a bite from the cupcake. A frown flickered across my face. It looked delicious.

"What _about_ him?" Alice scoffed. "Bella, you are so over Jacob. Aren't you?" She nudged my shoulder giggling. I knew what I should've done. I should've heartily agreed and said something mean and condescending about Jake. I should've had the urge to spit angrily at the sound of his name. But I didn't. Instead, I hesitated with my answer.

Was I over him?


	11. Bella's Goodies

**Thanks for all the hits and reviews everyone! :) Keep them coming!**

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"I can't believe I agreed to this," I muttered almost to myself.

"Oh, it'll be fun, trust me!" Alice's chipper voice sang through the phone. I wasn't sure what had motivated me to participate in this blind date, but here I was. With no dating skills or charming wit to speak of, I was more than confident this date would fail—miserably. On the plus side, Alice _did_ pick a cute outfit for me.

"Have you met him?" There was silence. "Do you know what he looks like? Do you even know his name?" I shrieked in terror.

"No, no and no!" Alice sighed, "I guess that's why it's a blind date. Anyway, my friend met him at the promo party last night and said he was really nice. And tall. And hot! I'm doing you a favor here, Bella."

"Fine, I guess I owe you big time," I remarked sarcastically. _I'll owe you a beating…_ A beep sounded from my phone. Great, low battery already.

"He better not be a creepy stalker… Anyway where do I meet him?"

"He'll be waiting in front of the restaurant. Call me later, alright? Love ya!"

"Let's get this over with," I grumbled as I stuffed my phone back into my purse. The restaurant in question was just in view. It was a new, over-priced, fusion restaurant and was too trendy and hip for my taste. Alice must've picked it. There was not a person in sight. Damn Alice, leaving me only three adjectives to identify this mystery man: nice, tall, and hot. That could be just about anyone! Edward popped into mind for a second, but he wasn't exactly my first choice definition of "nice."

I imagined walking in there with no reservations and asking the hostess, "Have you seen a nice, tall, hot man coming in here?"

She would surely think I was some pathetic loser desperately trying to find a date. I stood in front of the door awkwardly for awhile with my hand halfway extended toward the extravagantly carved metal handle. In the middle of debating whether or not I should enter, someone tapped me on my shoulder and I whirled around surprised.

"Excuse me, miss, are you going to go in?" The tall blonde man asked me politely, slightly bowing.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You can go in, I'm just waiting for someone," I smiled up at him weakly. He was tall and lean, yet muscular, with honey blond hair surrounding his handsome face and blue eyes. His smooth voice had a southern drawl to it.

"That's quite alright, I'm meeting someone as well," he replied casually, walking around me to lean against the brick wall.

"Blind date?" I asked hopefully.

"You could say that." He gave me questioning glance, "And you?"

"Same," I shrugged, moving to stand next to him. He had a certain magnetism about him, sucking me in with a calming aura. After standing silently next to this stranger for an uncomfortable amount of time, I began to wonder if I got stood up. It wouldn't surprise me, but why would _he_ get stood up? What was the likelihood two different people would show up at the samerestaurant for two different blind dates at the same time?

"So who set you up?" I gazed up at him curiously.

"An acquaintance of mine," he nodded towards me, "What about you?"

"My best friend. Do you know the name of your er—date?"

He ran his fingers through his hair with a careful look on his face. "Not exactly, but I do know what she looks like. Short, petite, spiked dark hair, full of energy, angel face…"A goofy grin began to spread across his face.

There's only one person in the entire world—let alone Seattle—that fits that description. I gaped at him, with a wide unbelieving smile stretching my face. Without warning, I burst into laughter.

"I'm sorry," I gasped between laughs, "but there must have been some sort of mix up. You just described my friend and I know for a fact she's busy tonight. She would _never_ forget if she had a date. Especially with someone like you," I nudged him playfully. Poor man, he was expecting a dark haired beauty, but he got me instead. He must've been so disappointed. After staring unblinkingly at the sidewalk for some time with his jaw slack, he finally began to chuckle.

"Well, I'm sorry miss. I should introduce myself, I'm Jasper Whitlock. I guess I owe you a date," he smiled genially and held out his hand. I placed mine in his and he gave me a small kiss on the top of my hand.

"Seriously, you don't have to take me out. It was all just a misunderstanding," I shook my head, slightly blushing. Too bad all men weren't such gentlemen.

"Nonsense, you must be disappointed," he shrugged. _Quite the contrary_, I thought humorlessly. "You were expecting a date, so please, allow me. It's the least I can do for getting you in this situation, miss…?" He tilted his head for an answer.

"I'm Isabella Swan. But please, just call me Bella. And really, it's not your fault you don't have—"

Jasper chuckled and shook his head. "You're really stubborn aren't you?"

"So I've been told," I frowned. "But honestly, I didn't choose this restaurant and it isn't exactly my style. Plus I'd hate to waste all that money on one meal when I'm not even that hungry," I shrugged apologetically. Jasper paused to think.

"I agree. I'd rather go somewhere low-key. I know a coffee shop not too far from here, shall we?" He gestured down the block.

I blinked once, "Oh! No, no it's fine. I mean you really _really _don't need—"

"Bella, please, I insist. I think we'll get along, and I'd like to get to know you as a friend." He smiled down at me. I knew I didn't have a chance, Alice had already unknowingly cast her spell on this one, but I couldn't help but be a little miffed. We had just met and he already established us on "friend" status. Honestly, I wasn't interested in being anything _but_ friends, but it still hurt my self-esteem nonetheless.

"Oh what the hell, I'm already out," I sighed, agreeing to his offer.

"Thank you for your enthusiasm," Jasper chuckled sarcastically and led the way.

The coffee shop he took me to was small and eclectic. It was one of those authentic shops that no one seemed to know about with great coffee. There were a few people lounging around chatting and reading quietly. Taking our hot coffee mugs, Jasper and I sat on a pair of large, mismatching arm chairs. They were the cushy old kind that you just sank in to as soon as you sat in it. Mine nearly ate me alive. Jasper and I talked for a long time. He was easy-going and laid back and we had a lot more in common than I would've guessed. We shared similar tastes in music and movies and I found out that he was in a new up and coming band.

In the midst of a laughing fit, my phone began to buzz violently from my purse. With a tear pooling at the edge of my eye, I grabbed it and groaned as soon as I read the caller ID. "What could he possibly want now," I muttered to myself. "Can you hang on? I need to take this," I turned to Jasper and shrugged ruefully.

"Of course, take your time," he waved me away. The Seattle night was cool and crisp.

"Hello?" I spoke into the receiver as the door shut behind me.

"Do you know what time it is?" Edward's harsh voice was still silky smooth through the phone. The time—he wanted to know what time it was! I suppressed screaming and jerked my wrist up to look at my watch.

"It is 8:51," I answered him, trying not to let the annoyance seep through my voice.

"Where are you?" He asked sternly. I was absolutely sure I was done with all my work for the day and had no plans other than this date, which—despite the fact it felt _nothing_ like a date—I was actually enjoying. What was he getting at? I decided to be honest.

"I'm at a coffee shop."

"What are you doing?" His voice was musical yet still firm and severe.

"I'm on a blind date," I sighed. Was he playing twenty questions?

"You're _what_!" Edward roared fiercely. I had to pull my phone away for a second to prevent my ears from bleeding. Oh, no. What did I forget? I began to dig through my mind rapidly trying to remember what I was supposed to be doing or where I was supposed to be that had my boss so angry.

"Um, I-I, well," I began to stutter.

"Ms. Swan. I was under the impression that you had received my message," Edward seethed; his honey voice was dripping with acid.

"Message?" I voiced quietly. Message, message—why don't I remember getting a message! "What message?"

He sighed loudly, "I'm a very busy man, Ms. Swan. Do you think I have time to waste? The message that I—"My phone suddenly clicked off. I glanced down to see that my battery had run out. What impeccable timing. Edward was _not_ going to be happy about this... I desperately tried to turn it on again and again to no avail. I seriously needed to pay more attention to the amount of battery my phone had. Submitting to defeat, I finally trudged back into the shop, allowing the warm soothing scent of fresh coffee to envelope me.

Jasper took in my expression and gazed at me curiously as I sunk into my seat. "What's the matter?"

"My boss is going to toast me and eat me for breakfast," I frowned dramatically. Jasper laughed amusedly and shook his head. He made me feel suddenly relaxed again, despite the terrifying situation I was in. I like this guy. We got along like brother and sister, it was just natural.

"Is this the same boss that you're trying to seduce?" He winked at me and then efficiently ducked the punch I threw at him.

"I told you already! I'm not trying to seduce him. I'm just trying to prove a point!"

Jasper rolled his eyes, "Then how is the whole 'proving a point' thing working for you?"

"Well," I sighed contentedly, sinking into my chair with coffee in hand, "More recently, I had scored a victory. But with what just happened now, I think it's safe to say I'm suffering from a minor setback."

Jasper nodded approvingly. "Love is a battlefield," he said sternly, as if he were strategizing a military plan.

"We are strong, no one can tell us we're wrong, searching our hearts for so long, both of us knowing…" I began to sing, totally off key.

"Stop it," he laughed, "You're destroying a classic!"

"Sorry, but you looked so serious," I smirked, taking a sip from my coffee which was starting to cool generously. I was an odd creature, always going against the grain. I actually preferred my coffee cold. I shared this fact with Jasper.

"Anyway, you better hold firm ground if you're determined to win this war. Don't let down your defenses. What if he really falls for you? I mean if you both end up falling in love and live happily ever after or whatever, great. But, what if you actually fall for him and he doesn't return the favor? He is your boss. Things would be awkward. Do you see how this could go wrong?" Jasper raised an eyebrow at me.

"He would never fall for me," I sneered. "He's _Mr. Perfect_. What am I to him? Just his clumsy little assistant, he's way beyond my league. I don't have a chance with him. He probably wouldn't give me a second glance anyway."

"Doubt it," Jasper laughed.

"I'm being serious! And I just don't see how I could fall for him…" I let my voice trail away.

"Because you're not over your ex," Jasper said, more as a statement than a question. I kept my eyes down and shrugged my shoulders.

"It's okay to admit you're not over him," he said consolingly.

"No, it's not that. I just don't know if I am or not. Does that make sense?" Jasper shrugged. "I guess I still want Jake as a part of my life. I'm just not sure how he'll fit in there quite yet."

"It'll all work out," Jasper smiled confidently. I swear he could make me feel like the happiest person in the world in an instant. I would have to keep him around. Too bad he was in Seattle temporarily, only here to promote his band's music and visit his family. He actually lived in Chicago. Jasper took our empty mugs to the counter and then perched himself against my arm chair. "Now, about that friend of yours, Alice you said?"

"I don't know," I sighed dramatically. "Do you honestly think you deserve her number?"

"Oh, no," Jasper frowned. "You're not _really_ going to make me run around the block butt-naked are you?" I smiled up at him mischievously.

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As I made my way into the office, I was almost positive I looked like a walking zombie. My hair was impossible this morning so I threw it up into a low messy bun, I was much too lazy to put in contacts—although my vision really isn't all that bad—and had to wear glasses, and the bags underneath my eyes probably had their own bags. Why did all of my more brilliant ideas have to strike me in the dead of the night? I was almost ready for bed last night when I thought up my next operation: Chocolate chip cookies.

Alice's chiming laughter suddenly broke my concentration. "What are we going for here, sexy librarian?" She giggled, gesturing to my glasses.

"Oh, shut it," I mumbled between yawns.

"What is this," she gasped. "You made your infamous melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies? Give me one!" Alice's hand darted toward my saran wrapped plate of cookies. Good thing some part of my brain was awake and functioning enough to pull it away from her quick little fingers in time.

"No! These are for one person and one person only," I gritted through my teeth.

"Well jeez. Did you and your little boyfriend-boss get into a fight or something? You only whip these babies out for special occasions."

"Yeah, sort of, I'm pretty sure I pissed him off last night. And he's not my boyfriend."

Alice scoffed, "Yet…" I glared at her.

"Everyone knows that a way to a man's heart is through his stomach. And there's no way Edward will be able to resist these!" I smiled deviously. Alice rolled her eyes, feigning disinterest. I approached the front counter where Jessica was reading some colorfully printed magazine. "Hey Jess, is the president in yet?" I nodded toward Edward's office.

"Not yet, he should be back before noon. He had an early emergency conference," Jessica yawned.

"Thanks," I nodded. That was strange, I checked my e-mails on the way in and he hadn't mentioned a conference. Maybe he really was pissed. Edward's office was neat and orderly, as always. I made my way around his desk and plopped down in his large leather office chair.

"Mm, must be good to be the boss," I murmured, leaning back and setting down the plate of cookies. Everything on his over-sized, sleek, black desk looked pricey and one-of-a-kind. There was also a framed picture of a young, beautiful couple, dating from the 60's or 70's. I decided to stop being nosy and grabbed an expensive looking pen and rummaged around for some paper. I finally found a notepad near his phone—personalized and monogrammed, of course. There were the initials _E.A.C. _printed in a swirly black script at the top. I tore one off the top and began to write a message. My clumsy scrawl looked awkward on his fancy stationary:

_It was about time you tried some of my delicious goodies. Fatten yourself up! –B_

I jotted down the quick note, deciding to go against my initial instinct to pore out a long apologetic letter. There was no playing nice in this battle. And hey, if I really was in trouble, might as well play it up, right?

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I read his message one more time before leaving my office:

_I expect the Morningstar contract to be ready and finalized. Have it done by noon, or else._

The contract had been done for awhile now, but his short angry message still had me paranoid. I knew Edward was back in and the time was approaching noon, but I was too chicken to step outside of my office. I grudgingly picked up the finalized copy and made my way toward his office. Instead of heading straight there, like I should've, I made a detour into the break room to grab him some water, just to kiss up a bit. Edward didn't like drinking caffeine after noon. As I opened the cupboard to grab a glass, I noticed a familiar plate setting on the counter. The saran wrap was pealed back and half of the plate's contents were already gone. The note I had written was nowhere in sight…

Tyler and Mike were munching shamelessly on some of my chocolate chip cookies not too far away. "Where did these come from?" I mouthed, pointing to the plate. Tyler shrugged, grabbing another cookie and stuffing it in his face.

Mike wiped his mouth and said, "Well, they taste like _yours_, so we just assumed—"

I didn't let him finish and turned to leave the room quickly. In my haste, I forgot to get the water like I originally intended to but I was already at the shut door of Edward's office. Raising my hand hesitantly, I knocked on the door twice. I sure as hell didn't expect Edward to come open the door personally, but he usually called out admittance for entry. After a few minutes, I tried knocking again. Still no answer. I decided I had enough right as his assistant to enter without permission and opened the door cautiously. Edward had his back to me, facing the large glass wall with his head slightly bent, gazing at something in his raised hand.

"Mr. Cullen?" I called out quietly. He didn't even flinch. Though I already knew exactly where the plate of cookies intended for Edward was, I wondered how it had made its way off his desk.

"Sir?" I tried again. Nothing. I strode silently across his office until I was standing right behind him. He didn't seem to notice my presence at all and was completely absorbed by whatever he was looking at. I peered from around him enough to catch a glimpse of his smirk and the white piece of paper he was reading. Once he caught sight of me, Edward jumped slightly and stuck the paper into the inner pocket of his suit.

"Ms. Swan, don't you have the decency to knock?" he murmured sternly, closing his eyes, his tousled bronze hair shining brightly from the sunlight.

"I did. Twice," I replied, holding up two fingers. He tilted his head and eyed me incredulously, his gaze piercing right through me. Though they were magnificent and beautiful, I didn't miss the hint of anger dancing in the midst of his green eyes. I cowered away slightly.

"When did you come in?" Edward shut his eyes again tightly and moved his hand swiftly to pinch the bridge of his nose. That was his signature frustrated motion.

"I'm sorry I surprised you, but I came in just now."

"What do you need?" He implored firmly. Holding out the black folder, I kept my eyes away from him.

"You wanted the finalized copy of the—" Edward snatched the folder away and went to his desk. His eyebrows were pinched together severely and his jaw was tensed, defining his already flawless bone structure. He flipped through the file at an unrealistic pace and then set it down abruptly, sliding it towards me.

"It needs some revisions. I'll give you an hour. Now go," he motioned towards the door, turning to face his computer.

"But, sir—"

"Go," his velvety voice demanded. I seized the folder from his desk and turned too quickly, almost running into a chair in the process. I heard a tired sigh come from behind me and left the room as promptly as I could.


	12. Mood Swings

**Look, I'm actually updating sooner than usual :) So I've been thinking, I don't think this story will have any chapters in EPOV, it just ruins the story and interrupts the flow. So maybe someone suggested I do a companion... Let me know what you think! And as always, thanks for taking the time for reading my story :)**

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With the Morningstar deal wrapped up and tucked away neatly, I figured my workload would start to lighten up a bit. Wrong. _Dead_ wrong.

If I thought Edward was just your typical egotistical, cold hearted, slave-driving boss before, someone should've slapped me and made me realize things could only go downhill. For the next few weeks he seemed almost lifeless; no snide remarks, no mocking attitude, just straight up lashing anger. I never saw so much as a smirk coming from him—and I hated to admit it, but I missed that swoon worthy smirk of his. He had me working overtime most nights and I was even reduced to taking some of my workload home, which had _never_ happened before. All the stress and ass-busting work would've been so much more manageable if my boss didn't have to be so fucking gorgeous. His stunning perfection only made me resent him more.

Every day I was forced to witness his beauty—his chiseled jaw line, his perfectly tousled bronze locks, rippling muscles… Honestly, the list could go on forever. It was the purest form of torture. With us working so closely on the Masen Project, there really was no avoiding it. I suddenly regretted my once brilliant decision to focus on my career rather than my love life. Either way, I was stuck attending meetings and conferences with him, having to sit next to him for those long hours and ignore the blatant tension between us.

I just wished I could soften his cold steely gaze, just once. Or hear his musical laughter again, even if it cost me a large portion of my dignity. Not only did bitter Edward make my job hell, it was just unsettling.

And yet, through all the craziness at work, I somehow found time to have some fun, with the help of a little monster named Alice. She snuck me into a few of her events and I hated to admit it, but they weren't half bad. And then there were the various dates, mostly set up by Alice, but sometimes the guy asked_ me_—which had me a feeling a little smug. Though my social life seemed to be teeming with excitement, all of my dates turned out to be duds. They usually ended in me making some lame excuse to get out of a regrettable one night stand or clingy unwanted relationships. It's amazing how many sleaze balls and head cases you can find in the greater Seattle area. One guy even began planning our wedding on the first date.

"Good morning, beautiful!" Mike burst into my office one day with too much enthusiasm. I was used to Mike's random outbursts, but he really had such great timing… I gave him a forced smile, Edward was hovering over my desk as I was reviewing the profit analysis for the quarter. He gritted his teeth in annoyance. Edward hates interruptions.

"Um, not now Mike, I'm sort of busy," I motioned to the devil beside me.

"Oh, my apologies Mr. Cullen," Mike smiled feebly at Edward, who growled too quietly for him to hear. "I'll come back later, Bella," he winked at me before shutting the door quietly. I rolled my eyes and groaned. That was just a warning; he would be asking me on a date before the day ended. After a few awkward seconds, I sighed loudly in an attempt to get Edward's attention. He had his head bent and eyes closed tightly.

"Ms. Swan," he began slowly, his voice silky and poisonous, "I expect you to be dedicating all of your precious time and attention to—"

"Please, Mr. Cullen," I cut him off. "You know that's just how Mike is, so stop worrying. I have everything under control." I stood up and started gathering my papers. Edward stood motionless, gazing at my empty wall. His eyebrows were knitted in a tense line and his entire stature was immobile, a beautiful statue of a Greek god so out of place in my dull ordinary office. "Are you coming?" I motioned to the door.

"To where?" Edward finally twitched, glancing up at me through a curtain of gorgeous thick lashes.

I sighed not letting him see how wobbly he made my knees feel, "I have to prepare the conference room for our presentation in an hour." I gazed at him expectantly.

"I'll meet you there in a minute," he murmured, waving me away. Wasn't this_ my _office? I shoved the thought aside and left him there alone. He had some serious mood swings—my boss, the manic depressive. There's my sad strange life for you. I had barely made it to the elevators when Jess suddenly stopped me.

"Hey, you have a delivery," she nodded coolly to the counter. By now even Jessica was getting bored by all the flowers.

"Thanks," I mumbled gaping towards the bouquet reluctantly. Red roses, again, only they weren't in an ornate glass vase like usual. They lay on the counter, already beginning to wilt, wrapped in clear cheap plastic. I didn't know whether or not it was appropriate to let a giggle slip. Was this a joke? There was also a stuffed brown puppy next to the roses with a baby pink tongue hanging out of its goofy grin. It was dreadfully cheesy. I scoffed and picked up the bouquet and brought it to my nose.

"Oh, no, Bella received another arrangement of flowers again. What's new ladies and gentlemen?" Alice chirped sarcastically. I whirled around and stuck the roses in her face. Looking startled, Alice stepped back.

"Smell them," I demanded.

"Okay, okay," she obliged, leaning forward to take a whiff. "Hm, cheap, I can almost smell the—"

"Gasoline and hot dogs from the gas station," I finished her sentence biting back a grin.

Alice nodded slowly and let a low whistle escape from her lips, "Talk about down grade. It doesn't even deserve to be called an_ arrangement_. Who are they from?"

"They can't be from Jake, must be a prank," I shrugged. Jessica perked up and leaned over the counter suddenly intrigued and obviously dying of curiosity. I scooped up the pathetic looking puppy and went to dump my gifts in my office.

"Good luck with your presentation, I'll see you there!" Alice exclaimed as I turned to leave. When I entered my office Edward was already gone, thank goodness. I placed the stuffed puppy on my desk and hesitantly looked at the roses. I decided they would die within the next twenty for hours anyway and so resolved to dump them on my way up.

"More flowers?" Edward questioned from my doorway with a raised eyebrow. His features and emerald eyes, however, were expressionless.

"No, I pulled these out of my pocket," I rolled my eyes and walked past him. He followed me silently into the elevator and we rode to the upper level conference room in uncomfortable silence.

"Did you make sure the projector would be there?" Edward asked quietly.

"Yes," I replied. Our attempt at communication was usually limited to short sentences and one-word answers nowadays. The elevator dinged, conveniently ending that non-conversation.

The conference room was airy and expansive, with dark carpeting and furniture and a high ceiling with a crystalline chandelier dangling down the center of the room. The west-facing wall was all glass, giving us a beautiful view of the bay, just like in Edward's office. I threw the roses in the closest trash bin as Edward scoffed from behind me. Ignoring him, I began distributing pamphlets to each spot at the large mahogany table that consumed most of the room's space. Edward gazed out of the window with his back to me, hands casually placed in his pockets, not even pretending to be interested in what I was doing for _our_ presentation. Arrogant bastard…

"Did you include the handouts for the slideshow?" Edward's smooth voice sounded from directly behind me. I jumped slightly and turned around.

"Yes, right here," I pulled one out from the closest folder. Edward grabbed it and examined it with tight eyes.

"This isn't the one I told you to print," he seethed bitterly. He had a lot of nerve…

"Yes it is," I scolded, snatching it back.

"_No_, it isn't," Edward crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Look Mr. Cullen," I nearly spat at him, "this is the handout you instructed me to print, and so that's what I did." I mirrored him by crossing my arms defiantly.

"Well, maybe I changed my mind," he narrowed his eyes which were dancing with some emotion.

I took a deep breath to control my anger, "Next time change your mind _sooner_."

Stuffing the handout back in its proper place, I gave Edward a challenging glare before turning to leave. We were bickering like two year olds, it was ridiculous. He'd just have to dealwith the handouts because I was _not_ bending over backwards to print out new ones. I was through accommodating to all of his inane demands. I had just as much authority as he did over the project. If he didn't want me heading it, tough shit! He shouldn't have promoted me in the first place. I was proud of myself for not tripping or stumbling on my way out and was almost at the door when Edward's warm hand suddenly grabbed my wrist securely.

"Wait," he spoke so quietly it was almost a velvety whisper. My legs stilled of their own accord, who could deny that voice? I kept my lips firmly pressed together, waiting for him to speak. Edward sighed and let go of me. I turned around slowly, not putting down my defense quite yet.

"I want this presentation to go well, and you'd be lying if you were to disagree," his voice was smooth and calm, a stark contrast to its harshness earlier.

"If this goes well, it would give us a bright outlook on the Masen Project. So, please, can we put our personal differences aside?" he looked up at me through his eyelashes, his emerald green eyes were smoldering. I had to catch my breath. The sincerity burning behind his eyes was intoxicating. I could hardly tear away from his dazzling gaze. I blinked severely times, trying to form a coherent sentence.

"Are you apologizing?" I finally asked, breathless.

"I don't apologize," he responded coldly, looking away from me. Well, so much for ruining the moment. "I'm merely asking you to please be civil, just for the next hour or so, and I'll promise to do the same."

"Wow, for a moment there I thought you actually cared," I sneered, shaking my head.

"Ms. Swan," Edward spoke firmly, causing me to turn to him again, "Please?" he raised an eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes and agreed reluctantly, knowing full well he was right and I was just being too stubborn to agree. And thankfully, the presentation went smoothly. I refrained from any snide remark that started to bubble under my lips, acted like the mature adult I knew I was, and managed to do a decent job, not stuttering or blushing once. Afterwards, Alice winked and shot me a thumbs up from across the room. Even Les looked impressed, giving me a fatherly pat on the back. I even snuck a glance at Edward and saw that beautifully stupid crooked grin of his. That lifted my mood generously.

As I was standing at the entrance of the conference room, people were leaving and murmuring compliments, Edward approached me with a small smirk, "I have to admit it, well done, Ms. Swan."

I raised an eyebrow sarcastically, "What, were you doubting my abilities?"

Edward rolled his eyes, "I just complimented you. Can't you at least show some gratitude?"

"Thank you," I responded shortly. Then he chuckled quietly, the ghost of a melodic laugh, for the first time in weeks. I involuntarily turned to stare up at him, my mouth slightly hanging open. The conference room was practically empty now, the last few occupants making their way out the door.

Edward glanced down at me questionably, "What?"

"Nothing," I shook my head. "You're just in a curiously good mood. Did someone die?"

"Very charming, Ms. Swan," Edward scoffed, but I knew by his grin I wasn't in any trouble.

Eventually, Edward and I were the last ones left in the room. We began gathering up our things, only this time the silence was different. The air wasn't so thick and uncomfortable like it had been for the past few weeks. Instead it was just calm, peaceful—like running at the gym again. The ever changing dynamic between us was disorienting. One minute he acts like, well, my boss, the next he's actually friendly, and then he's suddenly the demon Nazi from hell. "So, I've been thinking…" I broke the silence.

"That never ends well," Edward remarked sarcastically.

"_Anyway_, I've been thinking. Do you remember that day at the gym where I rescued you from Mandy? Remember, _honey_…" I giggled at the memory. Edward rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Yes," he groaned. "What of it?"

"Well," I began hesitantly, "I remember you saying you owed me."

Edward pinched his eyebrows together in the cutest way. "And?"

There was no guarantee as to how long this somewhat pleasant (well, as pleasant as he can get anyway) Edward would last. I knew I had to seize the moment—but how to say it without sounding pathetic? How many times have I already asked him this, with no success? "And," I began hesitantly. "I want you to give me lessons on dating and to teach me the rules," I forced the words out quickly, stringing them together in an almost incoherent jumble. I kept my eyes away from Edward, pretending to be occupied with the papers in my hand.

After a long pause I finally lifted my gaze to him. His expression was tense, I couldn't tell if he was thinking really hard or just biting back a laugh. He finally made a movement—that man could stand so still you'd never know he was alive—and turned his green eyes on me.

"Ms. Swan, I think we have other matters that deserve our attention. For example, the IABC workshop in Chicago coming up," he raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"Well, okay," I conceded reluctantly.

"Besides," Edward grinned crookedly as he scooped up the remnants from our presentation and strode towards the door, "I don't think you're having _any_ trouble finding dates, if I've heard correctly. Your love life seems perfectly fine. I don't see how you need my help."

I quickly gathered my thoughts and pursued him. "Where have _you_ heard about my love life?" I asked breathlessly from behind him. "By the way, it's none of your business."

"By asking me to help you with your love life, I believe you are making it my business," he declared smugly before stepping into the only available elevator which was, of course, the fullest. I glared at the back of his head as I squeezed in after him, wishing my seething anger would somehow convert into thunderbolts shooting out of my eyeballs. Only Edward could ignite such rage within me with the flip of a switch. I hated him for that.

"You never agreed, therefore it's still none of your business. Now who told you?" I whispered harshly to him.

"It's not my fault your little friend has a big mouth," he shrugged.

"Alice," we said at the same time. Edward chuckled and I cursed under my breath. He really didn't need to say anymore than those two syllables. Did she really have to go blabbing about my personal life to the entire office?

"So, were you eavesdropping or did she tell you personally?" I inquired.

"Neither. Like I said, she just has a big mouth," he grinned widely. Only Alice could have a big mouth and still be likeable. The elevator dinged quietly and Edward and I stepped onto our floor. Eric was waiting just outside the doors, and gave me a weak smile.

"Nice presentation, Bella," He nodded timidly and ducked pass me. I sighed and gazed at him sympathetically.

"What?" Edward's smooth voice cut my attention.

"I don't know," I bit my lip thoughtfully, "I guess I sort of, feel sorry for him. He was so excited to work on the Masen Project, and I basically stole it from him."

Edward scoffed, "You see, _that_ is exactly what's wrong with you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're overly sensitive, weak, and have absolutely no self-respect. Do you think you deserved the promotion?"

"W-well, yeah," I stuttered.

"Then you shouldn't have to feel pity for him. Move. On." Edward gave me a tight smile and paced away. I wanted to strangle him. I knew he would be able to throw me off in a second, having seen just how built he was—Edward's perfect muscles, Edward shirtless, Edward wet, Edward wet and shirtless and sweating… _Stop!_ It made me both livid and turned on at the same time. "Ms. Swan, you are done for the day. You may leave," Edward silky voice called to me from the front counter.

He may be an asshole, but at least he was giving me the rest of the day off. Jessica was gazing at Edward with big goo-goo eyes, giving him a toothy smile, batting her eyelashes, and all but throwing herself at him. I muttered him a thanks as I walked behind Jessica's desk to retrieve any messages I had, she was clearly too distracted. Thank goodness there were no flowers…

"Oh!" Jessica shook out of her daze and turned to me, "While you were in the meeting some guy kept calling for you. Told me that he wanted to take you out for lunch and wouldn't leave until you came down."

"Who was it?" I scrunched my eyebrows together hoping it wasn't Jake.

"I didn't recognize his voice," Jessica shrugged. "In fact, I think he's still down in the lobby."

"Thanks, maybe it's my _date_ from last night." I gave Edward a sly smile before turning towards the elevators.

"Maybe I should come with you," Edward popped up beside me, a smug grin painting his perfect face. I caught a glimpse of Jessica's jealous stare.

"Why? Someone can't keep his nose out of other people's business?" I smiled innocently. To be perfectly honest, I had spent last night hanging out with Jasper at our spot. Between the two of us, it would _hardly_ count as a date.

"I'm truly only concerned for you well-being," his grin broke into a smile. I scoffed disbelievingly. "What if it's a deranged stalker? I can't afford a death in such pressing times," he continued. "Or worse, what if it is your alleged date? Has he never heard of the two day rule?" Edward shook his head disapprovingly.

"What's that?" I asked absentmindedly, pretending to watch the numbers descend above the chrome doors.

"The two day rule: upon receiving a woman's or, in your case, man's number, you shall not call on them for two days. Otherwise you will seem pathetic and desperate," Edward explained as if it were the most trivial fact. Too bad he wasn't around to tell me earlier… I smiled to myself—he had given me a rule without even realizing it.

"Thanks for the lesson," I winked back at Edward before stepping out onto the main floor. Before I had even walked ten steps, I heard a booming voice echoing off the marble towards me. "Hey, Pup!"

My intimidating, dark haired, burly, loud-mouthed, obnoxious, and fervently goofy cousin was grinning at me from across the lobby. "Emmett!" I exclaimed, practically breaking into a sprint as I pushed through the horde of bodies. It had been so long since I had seen him and my immediate reaction was to jump into his arms and let him give me a bone-crushing bear hug, just like he did when we were little. As soon as he had set me down after several minutes of me giggling and begging for him to let go, Edward and I locked gazes from across the room. In the midst of the large crowd his eyes shone like two sparkling emeralds, honestly who wouldn't notice him?

His face was expressionless and still, but his eyes housed a million different emotions. He turned away before I could decipher any of them.


	13. Emmett's Lessons

**Thanks again everyone for all the hits and reviews :) With school starting very soon, I'm going to be busier than ever, so updates will sort of be slow :( I know I know, I hate it too but I will do my best to post chapters up as soon as I can.**

**And for those of you wondering WHEN THE HELL ARE BELLA AND EDWARD GOING TO GET TOGETHER?! Calm down, it'll happen :)**

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"Really, Bella? This is so first grade!" Emmett's warm laughter was loud and boisterous, easily filling my small apartment.

"Shh! My neighbors are probably sleeping!" I hushed him. We had spent the entire day hanging out and though it was still relatively early for us, I knew the elderly couple next door wouldn't appreciate shouting and laughing at ten o'clock at night.

"Oh, sorry, gee that must suck. I guess you can't bring your boyfriend here at night," Emmett snickered. I glared at him, reminding him that there was no boyfriend anymore.

"Oops, sorry," he smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, whatever, so what do you mean first grade? I have no idea what you're talking about."

Emmett scoffed, "The hell you don't! It's really simple. The way you explained it, you two are totally flirting with each other. What with the teasing, mocking, and the constant bickering—it sounds like a real love-hate relationship. Like I said, it's first grade." He chuckled to himself then proceeded to take a huge bite from his sandwich.

"You just don't get it," I sighed, sliding the food around on my plate, "I've seen my fair share of gorgeous men, but Edward takes the cake. He can have anyone he wants, why would he want me?"

"Aw, come on! Who wouldn't want you, Puppy?" Emmett winked, using the nickname he gave me when we were little kids. Apparently, I had the cutest puppy face circa age two. I rolled my eyes at him and threw a potato chip in his direction. "Besides," Emmett spoke with his mouth full of food, "He is your boss isn't he? He isn't just going to profess his love to you. Can you imagine how scandalous it would be if you were screwing your boss? I mean that's just gotta be awkward, you both must be dying from all that sexual tension."

"Emmett McCarty!" I hissed angrily, "Why does everything always have to be about sex with you?"

"What?" he asked innocently. "I mean I hate to think about it, you _are_ my little Pup, but how long has it been since you got some?"

I crossed my arms and glared at my plate. _Too embarrassing to say out loud_, I thought pathetically.

"You can't tell me you haven't thought about it, at least _once_," Emmett chuckled. Once? Hah! If only he knew… "Hell, I'm man enough to admit that Edward Cullen is pretty good looking. Not as hot as me, but I'll give the man some points."

I rolled my eyes at him and continued to poke at my sandwich. "It's not like that, at _all. _It's just… weird," I concluded. Emmett threw me a devious smile. His cute dimples were the most prominent feature on his round baby face, despite his mocking expression. Emmett was always like my big brother, a very childish and immature big brother, but with a huge heart. Of course, most people couldn't look past his scary muscles to see that part of him.

"Are you trying to tell me Edward Cullen doesn't have a reputation over here?" Emmett sneered.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't really know the guy—never met him—just heard about him through people. Apparently, he was a big ladies' man back in Chicago," Emmett leaned forward with an animated expression. He looked like a girl getting ready to spill some juicy gossip.

"Anyway, from what I hear, he's a one-night type of guy, you know what I mean," he waggled his eyebrows in a suggestive way. For obvious reasons this fact didn't surprise me, Edward _was_ unbelievably sexy. But it did confuse me. From what I've witnessed during his stay in Seattle, he had women crawling after him wherever he went, but he never showed much interest in any of them. He would flirt back but he was completely untouchable—such a heart breaker. I was under the impression he thought he was too good for anyone, which I'm guilty of agreeing with.

"But, Edward doesn't get around, from what I know of," I blinked dazedly.

Emmett shrugged and finished up his entire sandwich with one gulp. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not judging the guy. But I dunno Pup. Just watch yourself around that one." I breathed a shaky laugh and nodded.

"So anyway," he continued, reaching over to finish the rest of my plate. "Where's this Jake guy? I want to kill him," he sounded so nonchalant we could've been discussing the weather.

I smacked Emmett's hand away from my chips and frowned at hearing Jake's name. "Please Em, not now."

"Alright, alright. Still doesn't change the fact that I want to kill him," he shrugged with a sly grin slapped on his face. "So, did you miss me or what?"

"Of course I missed you!" I laughed. Emmett wrote a popular sports column in the Chicago _Sun-Times_ and so I hardly ever saw him. Even on his rare visits to Washington we barely spent time together. He would always do impossible things like camping, fishing, or hiking. I would volunteer to stay home—come on, me out in the wilderness? That's just one embarrassing helicopter ride to the hospital waiting to happen. "So, when did you get in town? You never called or messaged me at all," I hit his arm playfully.

"I wanted to surprise you," Emmett smiled innocently, "And don't tell me you didn't know I was coming, did you not get my flowers?"

My jaw dropped in shock. Well, I really shouldn't have been surprised, now that I think about it. Emmett knows how to piss me off and what bugs me. I hate flowers, especially red roses. And honestly gifts in general. "Really?" Emmett's booming laughter shook the thin walls of my apartment. I shushed him again. "I thought for _sure_ you'd know it was me. Especially with that brown puppy I sent with it. All for my little Bella-boo," he reached over to muss the top of my head.

"Those flowers were cheap. And I'm not so little anymore," I grumbled as I smoothed out my hair, still not being able to resist smiling.

"I know, I know. Even when you were little I always knew I'd have to beat the boys off you with a bat. Man, my little Pup's even got Edward freaking Cullen wrapped around her fingers!" Emmett sarcastically wiped away a nonexistent tear, smiling proudly at me.

I rolled my eyes grudgingly, "For the last time there's—"

"Okay okay," Emmett threw his hands up in surrender. "I know you Bella. And when you're too stubborn to admit something, I know when to shut up. Yeesh, women!"

"Thank you," I decided it wasn't worth the time to argue any further and grabbed the remote to start flipping through channels aimlessly. "It's too bad you didn't come earlier. I'm leaving for Chicago in a few days."

Emmett shrugged, "I won't be here long anyway. Probably just visit Uncle Charlie and go hiking or something. I just wanted to get my mind off some things."

"Like what? Another girlfriend," I smirked, knowing full well my cousin had some player tendencies.

"This one's different! But yeah, we kind of got in a little fight," he admitted with a slight frown.

I shook my head disapprovingly. "Now now Emmett, you know better than to run away from your problems," I scolded him in a motherly tone. "Next time, you be a big boy and face it like you know you should." I tickled him on his neck, in the exact spot I knew would get him to scream like a girl.

"H-hey! That was uncalled for!" Emmett yelped, leaping six feet in the air. I clutched my side as I broke into a fit of laughter.

"Bella, Bella, Bella," he recovered quickly, gazing at me with an evil grin. "You should know better than to start that with me," he raised his hands up, ready to pounce.

"Oh, yeah? What makes you think I'm not up to it," I challenged him. He raised an eyebrow and jumped for the kill. The next thing I knew I was engaged in the most epic tickle war of my life. After years of practice, Emmett knew exactly where to get me. Of course, I knew his weak points as well, but there really was no fighting off my beast of a cousin. Within the next few minutes, I had tears rolling down my cheeks and I was desperately gasping for air.

"Stop…! Please…! You're going… to make me… pee!" I half laughed, half wheezed.

"Sorry, dear Bella. That's what you get!" Emmett continued to torture me while I wriggled on the floor helplessly, forgetting about my elderly neighbors. Suddenly my phone began to buzz from the coffee table, distracting Emmett enough so that I could crawl away from him. I grabbed it with jerky movements, still giggling and panting heavily. I didn't recognize the number.

"Who could be calling you at this hour?" Emmett's voice was breathy.

"Hello?" I huffed, feeling a bit light headed. The other line was silent. "Look… if you're going to call… at least… say something," I gasped between breaths.

"Hey Pup, who's calling?" Emmett panted beside me.

"I don't know."

"Tell em you're busy!" Emmett exclaimed as he jumped on top of me, continuing where he left off.

"Not fair! You can't just jump me like that!" I laughed, tossing my phone aside.

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A wide yawn stretched my face as I finished packing all the last minute things from my office. Did the flight really have to be this early? The sun was barely peaking over the horizon. Only an evil being would force us to wake up at the butt-crack of dawn.

"Ms. Swan, are you ready?" The gorgeous creature himself graced me with his presence.

"Almost," I sighed sleepily, trying to ignore how much he looked like a Greek god propped in the doorway of my office, not even looking remotely tired.

"Do you have our itinerary and all the files I asked you to prepare?" Edward raised an eyebrow at me, probably not even realizing how stunningly sexy he looked in low lighting. I mumbled a yes and continued gathering all my things, focusing my attention on something other than Edward's amazing sex hair. Why women weren't pouncing him every second of the day and how I could even stop myself from jumping him now was beyond me. Wow, I really wasn't a morning person—I was so loopy I couldn't even control my lustful thoughts.

"Good. I'll check on everyone else," Edward nodded and left. He had become his detached self again; I knew his good mood wouldn't last. At least he wasn't so bitter. Instead things were… awkward.

"Hey, Bella, come on! We're going," Tyler called to me from outside. I sighed and grabbed my purse, knocking off my glasses in the process. I stooped next to my desk to grab them but something else caught my eye. It was a small white envelope shoved under my desk that I had never seen before. Picking it up gingerly, I saw my name written on the front in a perfect script.

"Ms. Swan," Edward's smooth voice sang from the doorway again. "We're leaving now."

"Coming," I answered frantically, stuffing the envelope in my purse and hitting my head on my desk simultaneously. I groaned, "Ouch." Edward sighed and left me to pick my pitiful self up.

I spent the next four hours or so sitting on the plane with my head ducked and head phones stuffed in my ears. I felt bad for my friend Angela, who was unfortunate enough to have to sit by me. I was no fan of plane rides and she was probably bored out of her mind, not to mention at the risk of getting puked on any given minute. When we finally landed safely in Chicago and somehow navigated through over-sized O'Hare International, my stomach still wouldn't calm down. The time change was disorienting as it was already noon over here and the last thing I remember was a barely lit sleepy Seattle.

_I'm going to need a few drinks tonight…_

There were only about seven or eight people in the group and, of course, Alice wasn't one of them. Luckily, I had Angela, the only other female coworker I didn't mind sharing a room with. After three days though everyone else would leave and it'd just be Edward and I for the rest of the week on official Masen Project duty. It would be nothing short of uncomfortable. Good thing we wouldn't have to share rooms.

_More like an extremely bad thing. _I berated myself for even thinking of the potential situations involving Edward, me, and a big fancy hotel room…

Ever since stupid loud-mouthed Emmett mentioned me screwing Edward I couldn't seem to take my mind off the possibility. Was it worth it? Put my career in jeopardy and risk being fired, or seeing the glorious site of a naked Edward and having mind blowing sex with my god-like boss… The temptation was oh so appealing, but I knew it was one-hundred percent impossible. For one, he was way too beautiful for me. Not to mention the fact he has been ignoring me like crazy. For another, the whole scenario was so wrong on so many levels. I wasn't about to have an affair with my boss, that just wasn't me. And then there was Jake…

Screw Jake. I resolved to put aside my personal problems and focus all my attention on business while in Chicago. Of course, spending practically every waking minute with Edward wasn't going to help.

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Business workshops were always long and boring. The only good use I got out of them was free food and time to let your mind wander and mull over thoughts—which usually left me feeling more confused rather than enlightened. I spent the stretched out hours in random board rooms tuning out the speaker and gazing down at Chicago traffic. I only imagined a shirtless Edward two or three times, which I was uncommonly proud of. I mostly thought about Jake and my pathetic love life, leaving me feeling hurt and depressed when evening finally struck.

Keeping his word, Edward took us out to enjoy some of the Chicago night life. I mostly wanted to drink away my miserable mood, but I also wanted to enjoy the trip. Chicago really was a beautiful city, and I hoped we'd have a chance to explore more of it during the daytime.

"Ang, are you sure you don't want to come out tonight?" I pouted as I turned off my curler and set it on the marble sink counter top.

"I'm sure, Bella. Don't worry about me. Go out, have fun with everyone. I'm not really in the mood anyway. I'll probably go down and soak in the hot tub before knocking out early," Angela laughed from the room, already settled in her huge bed wearing comfy sweats and sipping a mug of tea. One good thing about business trips with Onyx—over the top, fancy, five star hotels and all the amenities they provided. Angela's hot tub plan was almost appealing enough to skip out on my plans for this evening… Almost. I was sort of hesitant to go out—I wasn't really close to anyone else in the group besides Angela. But I had a new operation up my sleeve and I knew tonight would be the only night to execute it.

"Okay, I'll try. But you're leaving me alone with Lauren and… What's-her-face? The two most superficial and annoying people at Onyx," I sighed dramatically, pretending to play the guilt card.

"Sorry," Angela laughed warmly. "So, what are you going to wear tonight to show them up?"

I shrugged, "I made the mistake of letting Alice pack for me, so we'll just have to see." I pried open my heavy suitcase and began excavating through the layers of various fabrics. She had to have packed _something_ that would help me with my plot. She was definitely wicked enough… _Ah ha!_

Pulling out the impending article of clothing, my stomach twisted nervously. I would never ever _ever_ wear this under normal circumstances, but I trusted Alice's fashion instincts enough to put on a brave face for tonight.

"Wow," Angela marveled, giggling slightly.

"Is it too much?" I cringed, holding up the dress.

"You were right to be scared of what Alice packed, but trust me, Bella. You can pull this off. Give yourself some credit," she gave me a genuine smile and winked. I loved how honest and unusually good-natured Angela was. Sometimes I preferred her calm and quiet demeanor over Alice the spitfire.

"Thanks," I laughed and went to the bathroom to slip on the outfit that redefined the term "little black dress."


	14. Touch

**Please don't kill me for not** **updating :( I just moved into the dorms this weekend and couldn't get internet set up. At all. Do you know how much it sucks to not have internet??**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter. Sorry to keep you all waiting! But it's a bit longer to make up for such bad timing :) It's been done for so long now, just never had the chance to post it… I promise the next chapter will be up sooner!**

**Keep up all the reviews and supports, thank you** **all :)**

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The ever growing rift between Edward and I only caused me to jump into action. I wasn't going to give up just yet. He clearly wasn't falling for any of my mind games, so I had to resort to desperate measures… To put it in Alice's words, I'd have to _seduce_ him.

The black dress Alice had packed for me was horrifying in the least. It was skin tight, extremely short, and gave me a surprising amount of cleavage (which, I had to admit, was sort of a plus). I definitely looked bold and seductive—standing still. Put me in a dark, slick floored night club and that's another story. I'd be dangerous alright, but not in an appealing or remotely sexy way. After giving up, I called to consult Alice for advice and a pep talk and let Angela do my smoky eye makeup. I left my room with Angela's approval, donned in all black and the "right" shade of red lip stick. My just below the knee length trench coat hid the dress completely (as there really wasn't much to cover) and the black pumps Alice had instructed me to wear really weren't half bad, surprisingly.

"The more expensive, the more comfortable," Alice's airy voice sounded in my head.

We took various taxis to a night club of Edward's choosing after the other girls complained about walking. Of course, I had to choose the worst car to sit in. Although the drive was relatively short, it was the most uncomfortable car ride of my life. By some stroke of bad luck I ended up wedged between a bubbly and chatty Mike Newton and very cold and very silent Edward. Mike tried to hold my attention and kept up a conversation from the moment I slid in next to him while Edward sat on my other side, tensed with either annoyance over Mike or pure hatred at my close proximity. I didn't get a chance to even speak a word to Edward, considering Mike was babbling the whole time. So far, Operation Seduction was _not_ heading off to a good start.

The cabs pulled up to Eclipse, a very swanky, elegant, modern club illuminated in red and silver neon lights. I think to myself that this is _exactly_ the kind of place I'd expect Edward to take us—somewhere fine and expensive. I absentmindedly wonder if he used to come here regularly on his nightly escapades to get his female fix…

Edward coughs behind me, bringing me back to the present. "Something wrong, Ms. Swan?" He still sounded detached, but he can't quite shake the sexy velvety softness that is ever present in his voice.

"No," I murmur, following the others into the darkness of the club. Of course Edward would make sure we didn't have to bother waiting in such long petty lines.

Inside of Eclipse, the music is pulsing, drumming right through my core. The vibrant blood red lights and dark shadows seem to dance playfully, setting an intimate yet vivacious tone for the entire club. Back in Seattle, I wasn't exactly the club hopper. Sure, I'd allow Alice to drag me out a few times here or there, but most of the time I preferred staying home curled up on my sofa with a good book. Growing up, I was uncommonly shy. Although I have broken out of my shell since then, I occasionally would be intimidated by something and slip back into my introverted self. Nothing did the trick quite like night clubs and dancing. I knew I had to put on a brave face, but I felt the urge to be comforted. I felt the urge for Jake.

Edward led us up to the V.I.P. lounge above the dance floors, seeming totally unfazed and blasé as if this was routine (and it probably was) while our co-workers gushed and stared with awe-struck gazes. This sure wasn't New York, but the night-life here was exhilarating nonetheless. Seattle wasn't exactly a neighborhood suburb, however compared to Chicago's dense metropolitan it might as well have been.

As we settled into a large circular booth, I placed a hand on Edward's shoulder and leaned into his ear—in what I hoped was an alluring manner—and spoke over the loud music, "If you'll excuse me, I have to use the lady's room."

He quirked a brow at me, but silently motioned towards a secluded corner where the restrooms were.

"I won't be long," I smiled up at him. Jeez, how corny could I get? I strode quickly into the women's side and hunched over the sink. The small, dimly lit room was just as elegant as the rest of the establishment, with all black marble counters and tiled floors and rich red accents. Every woman in the club was leggy, big breasted, and sexy. I felt completely out of place here. And of course, whenever I felt lonely I always thought of Jake. I never let anyone see how truly hurt I was by him, always hiding behind other emotions. After all, a girl who finds out her long time boyfriend had been cheating on her ought to feel bitter, angry, betrayed—not sappy and depressed… right? Either way, those long hours sitting through seminars and workshops all day had left me with time to think, time to wallow in my misery.

"Get over it, Bella," I muttered to myself, gazing at my reflection. "You're on a mission. Get out there and show Mr. Perfect the very _essence_ of sexuality."

Suddenly growing some backbone, I grabbed my clutch, peeled off my coat, and headed out of the restroom. As soon as I stepped out, a kind attendant asked if I would like to check my coat and I eagerly shove it in his hands, stuffing the plastic numbered label he handed me into my bag. I made my way to back to the large, red vinyl booth, putting on the best strut I can conjure. I walked past Edward, too scared to try to catch a glimpse of his reaction, and slid in next to Mike on the opposite side instead.

"Um, hi Bella," Mike smiled at me, his blue eager eyes sparkling.

"Hi," I smiled back, feeling Edward's eyes on me from across the table. For the next few minutes, I honestly tried to listen to Mike's story with interest but all I could focus on was Jake, normally a constant reminder in the back of my mind brought to the forefront. Edward was coolly directing his attention elsewhere, sipping his drink quietly—most likely his signature drink, a whisky on the rocks. The table burst into laughter suddenly at some unheard joke from Mike. Pretending to be a part of the conversation, I faked a smile and laughed with them. I caught Edward smirking from the corner of my eyes and wondered what had caused it, Mike's story or my obviously phony reaction?

"Hey, check out Tyler!" Eric suddenly laughed loudly, pointing towards the mini stage in the corner. Sure enough, Tyler was up by the karaoke machines belting out an off-key rendition of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."

"Aw, man this is hilarious," Mike shook his head, shifting to get up from the table. I moved aside, allowing everyone to slide out and join the rest of the crowd cheering on Tyler. And of course, all that was left was Edward and I. If I had thought our silences lately had been bloated, this was worse. Sitting there with him was agony; I could literally cut the tension between us with a knife. With my emotions already in a fizzle from thinking about Jake, I decided I didn't have time to deal with Edward's weird bullshit. I made a show of glaring at him and stood up with my drink in hand.

"What? Not having fun?" Edward scoffed, feigning shock.

"Not with you around," I replied sarcastically and started walking towards the bar. I had only taken three steps when, in true Bella fashion, my shoe slipped on a wet spot, sending me rushing to the floor backwards. Luckily, the fall wasn't so hard, but of course I landed on my ass. Admittedly, it's a lot better than landing on your back and having the wind knocked out of you, but it's humiliating either way. My cheeks began to flush, but I couldn't help laughing at myself—honestly I was beyond being embarrassed, what more could possibly go wrong with this night? Feeling a bit harebrained, I weakly attempted to pick myself up before Edward stooped down to help, propping me up in one arm.

"I suppose it's not a real party until you trip over yourself and wind up on the floor," Edward smirked, rolling his eyes.

"Great," I giggled, dusting myself off and still feeling giddy. "I spilled my drink all over myself." The front of my dress had a trail of wet splotches and smelled strongly of alcohol. Alice was going to kill me…

Edward grabbed a napkin from the table and began blotting my dress wearing a smug look. My arm was still hooked around his neck and I was just now realizing exactly how close we were standing. All traces of my loopy giddiness was gone, all I could concentrate on was Edward's electric touch: his warm grasp, his long elegant fingers against the small of my back... Lauren walked by suddenly with her friend and eyed me incredulously. I never knew what her deal was, but she's always hated me ever since I started working at Onyx. It didn't bother me too much, I just ignored her.

"Well, that was almost too painful to watch," she mocked, flipping her hair and walking away. And, of course, she stepped right over the puddle which I had so conveniently slipped on. I sighed, willing myself to push Edward way. I missed the feel of his skin already, which was scaring me.

"Thanks," I murmured quietly, feeling the heat rush to my face. I escaped back to the restroom to finish cleaning myself off. As I methodically wiped the front of my dress, I couldn't help but wonder what had happened out there. There was a part of me that ached for Jake; he was always present in my mind. The longing I felt for him was constantly battling with my resentment for his actions. And then there was another part that couldn't deny the serious physical chemistry between Edward and me. What if Alice's silly ideas had some truth? I sure as hell didn't want that to be the case. But there was something so _right_ about it. I just had to be near him. But I didn't want to want Edward… did I?

I gave up on my dress left the room. Everyone was still crowded around the karaoke stage, now Eric was up picking a song. I chuckled and headed over to the bar to replace my drink.

"What can I get for the pretty lady?" The scruffy bartender asks me with a wink.

I smile and reply, "Just a vodka martini, please."

"Right away," he smiled back flirtatiously. I decide that he has a strong profile and pretty eyes, but his jaw line is no match for Edward's. I roll my eyes at myself, was I seriously starting to compare other men to Edward? It was pointless, there really was no comparison.

"You could probably sue the club for the little stunt you performed earlier," a heart meltingly smooth voice sounded behind me.

"Thanks, _so_ much," I replied flippantly, turning to watch the beautiful creature settle into the seat next to mine. Seeing Edward's crooked grin inspired both a knee wobbling weakness and raging fury inside of me. Only Edward could make me want to knock him out and _make_ out with him at the same time.

He shrugged, "Well, there wasn't a wet floor sign if you didn't notice." He proceeds to order himself another whiskey, I smile to myself.

"I'm sorry if I was too busy busting my ass to notice there wasn't a sign," I responded.

"Well, you can't say you didn't see it coming. You function less adequately than usual when you wear showy outfits and high heels," Edward raised an eyebrow and continued smirking.

"What does my choice of clothing have to do with my coordination?" I scoffed.

He eyed my dress and then shook his head, "You try much too hard Ms. Swan. You look like a showgirl. Are you really that desperate for a man's attention? You have to put on a show like that? I hope you don't dress like that on your dates."

"Why do you care so much how I dress on my dates?" I asked mockingly.

Edward rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by a breathtakingly gorgeous blonde woman. She was tall, beautiful and confident. As if she knew she was turning heads and making every other woman around her, no matter how hot or gorgeous, look like a frumpy old lady. And she was clearly unashamed of it. Her dress was short (even shorter than mine, which I had thought to be impossible), hugging her perfect curves and was the shade of blood red, matching the theme of the club. It complimented her long legs and magazine worthy figure perfectly. I visibly shrank, seeing no point in trying to rival her beauty.

"Why, hello, Edward," she smiled mischievously, her voice the sound of bells. "You aren't cheating on me, are you?" She turned her violet-blue eyes on me. I could almost imagine what she was thinking as she looked at my pitiful form.

"Ah, Rosalie," Edward chuckled and stood up to kiss the top of her hand. "I heard you have a new man in your life. How could you accuse me of cheating?"

Rosalie threw her head back and a beautiful wind chime laugh slipped from her lips. "Edward, you're always the gracious gentleman. Yes I do have a new man. Maybe you can meet him if you stay long enough." Her face was bright and enthusiastic, but she eyed me with suspicion.

"Maybe, I'm only in the city for a week," Edward replied.

"And, who is this? Did you pick up more women in Seattle?" The beautiful blonde quirked her head at me, her voice and smile were warm but her gaze was steely.

"Oh Ms. Swan, this is Rosalie Hale, we worked together prior to my time in Seattle. Rose, this is Isabella Swan. She works for the Onyx branch in Seattle," he motioned towards me.

"Please, just Bella," I smiled meekly, halfway raising my hand before putting it back down when she made no show of moving hers.

"Pleasure," Rosalie nodded, a look far from _pleasure_ plastered on her perfect face. "Well, it was nice seeing you Edward. Keep in touch," she walked away, running a hand through Edward's tousled bronze hair (which I secretly hated her for because I've always wanted to do that). Sure she had treated me like an insignificant dog, but I couldn't help but stare at her in amazement. How did she do that, flirt with Edward playfully, without seeming clingy or desperate? I felt the sudden urge to glue my mouth shut and back away from Edward before I caused myself anymore embarrassment. Saving us from another awkward silence, the bartender returned with our drinks. I thanked him and fished out an olive from my martini glass.

"Is there anything else I can get for you?" He asked leaning against the counter. Too busy chewing, I shook my head and looked at Edward expectantly.

"No," Edward replied shortly. "Just put them both on my tab."

"Sure thing."

"Aw," I nudged Edward in the arm teasingly; desperate to forget about the walking perfection that was Rosalie. "You're so kind! Thanks for picking up the tab for the whole group. You really are a great tour guide."

"Why are you being so nice? Are you already drunk?" Edward chuckled.

"I'm not drunk," I mumbled, taking a sip of my martini.

"Well, at the rate you're going, you will be soon. I've witnessed your low tolerance for alcohol, Ms. Swan. Are you sure you want to push it, especially in front of all your colleagues?" He grinned smugly. There it was—that stupid, sexy, arrogant, crooked grin of his. A familiar rage began to boil under my skin, a rage only Edward has ever inspired. I took a larger gulp of my martini in response. The vodka was strong yet smooth as it slid down my throat.

"Thanks for your concern, Mr. Cullen, but I know when enough is enough. And I do _not_ have a low tolerance for alcohol."

"Yes you do."

I set down my drink and turned my whole body towards him. "No. I don't. Would you like to bet on it?" I decided on a whim. It was all or nothing tonight. Either he'd go down, or I would—_hard_.

"Are you sure? I have _never _lost a bet before," Edward grinned at me arrogantly.

"Oh, is that so? Well, neither have I," I smiled proudly. The only reason I sounded so confident was because I wasn't lying. Sure I'd never lost a bet, but I had also never made one before. Edward didn't refuse so I called over the bartender, "Hey, can we get a round of shots over here?"

"What kind of trouble are you getting us into now, Ms. Swan?"

I smirked, "I'm just trying to lighten the mood. Are you scared, Cullen?"

"For you, yes," Edward flashed his white teeth at me haughtily.

"I'd be concerned for your own welfare, thank you. So, first to get drunk has to pick up the tab, deal?" I extended my right hand. Edward quirked an eyebrow, as if to say "you have no idea what you're in for," and then took my hand firmly and shook it. I ignored the heart-stopping buzz his touch had surged through my system, trying to keep things strictly business.

"Deal," he pulled one side of his mouth up into a smile as if I had just made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

An innumerable amount of shots later, Edward and I were still going. Something in the back of my mind told me that what I was doing was both stupid and completely pointless. I knew when I should've stopped, but I kept going. Edward's everlasting smirk only switched on my competitive drive, there was no way I could lose this bet. Besides, we were starting to attract an audience. I knew I couldn't back down now and surrender to him in front of everyone…

"Are you sure you should keep going, Ms. Swan?" Edward remarked.

I hiccupped, "Shut up!" I was buzzed and brazen. I had no sense at all and the sad part was I sort of knew I had lost it. "Wow, that was loud," I giggled. "Did you hear me? I just told you to shut up, how weird. Shut the fuck up!" I laughed even harder.

Edward raised an eyebrow at me, "I think you are done." He began to stand up but I pulled him back down forcefully—more forcefully than I would have if I weren't drunk…

"No! We're not done yet, Cullen," I giggled.

"Yes," Edward was half amused and half stern, "we _are_." He stood up with finality and began walking away.

"Wait," I called to him and started walking towards him with wobbly feet. Then everything went black.

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I could faintly sense the feel of a moving car, smell the musty scent of a cab, hear voices echoing—one smooth and angelic, the other rough and thick with an accent. Then I felt the sensation of a man's warm arms on my back and under my knees as he cradled me like a child. His breath was tinged with alcohol, but had a sweet undertone. As he carried me for who knows how long, his breathing remained perfectly normal, as if I were no heavier than your average book. He suddenly set me down in a chair of some sort, providing me with no support. I slumped over and moaned.

"What am I ever going to do with you?" The man laughed quietly in front of me, his mouth pulled up crookedly. His lips were pink and I longed to reach out and touch them. I moaned again, barely conscious.

"Bella, are you alright?" he mused, his voice the sound of angels singing. I heaved myself up and looked at the beautiful man in front of me. His sleeves were rolled up untidily and the first few buttons of his shirt was undone in such an alluring way, revealing part of his chest and a very faint jagged scar under his collar bone. I could barely register the features on his face; I just knew he was beautiful, his soft pink mouth pressed into a hard line. His head was cocked to the side, still waiting for my answer.

I giggled, "You want to kiss me right now, don't you?" I spoke more to his lips then his eyes.

The man looked down and shook his head, laughing silently. "Oh, I know you do. But you know what? I'm not going to let you," I smirked, poking him hard in the chest.

"I really think—"

"Shh!" I shushed him, putting my finger against his mouth. The feel of his warm lips against my skin was electrifying. "You want to kiss me, but I won't let you. Do you want to know why? Okay, I'll tell you. You're rude, selfish, and arrogant, the biggest prick I have ever met. You think you're just _so_ great, with your Harvard diploma, MBA status, good looks, perfectly sculpted muscles, and your hair that just screams 'fuck me'," I rambled on carelessly.

"Wait, did you just say—_what_?" he laughed in utter shock.

"Oh! And you're a playboy. You're a one-night kind of man. But guess what? You'll never have me eating out of the palm of your hands. _Never_. I don't want that in a man. I don't need that!" I willed my feet to move, to step away but of course, in my drunken state and high heels, they failed me. I fell forward and the man caught me in his strong arms, our faces barely an inch apart. I could feel his hot breath against my trembling lips, our mouths practically touching. All it took was a simple shift of weight. I don't know who enacted it, but just a subtle readjustment of our bodies and then _boom_. Our lips made the contact I had been aching for. At first it was so sudden, we both tensed. He remained frozen under my unmoving form, our lips touching but not moving. And then I felt a slight pressure. I don't know if it was from him or me, but I responded.

And then he wasn't just touching me, he was kissing me. Or maybe I was kissing him. I didn't care. I didn't even know where we were. The sensation of his mouth moving against mine was too exhilarating. My mind was more abuzz than ever, even more then when I was completely drunk. I listened to the soft sound of our lips meeting and moving together over and over. We were leaning against nothing but each other, his hands pressed dangerously low against my back, my hands tangled in his soft messy hair. I moaned against his lips and he pulled me closer to him.

We continue like this as he leads me somewhere I don't know. I let him take me with him, not wanting to break contact. I pull away slightly to catch my breath and glance up into his half-lidded emerald eyes.

"Ms. Swan, I-I'm so, I didn't mean—"

The last image I have in my mind is his faded scar peeking out from his shirt, then everything went black again.


	15. Realizations

**You know you're in for an awesome semester when two of your teachers assign papers the first week of classes :( Please bear with me! I'll try to update whenever I can.**

**And I'm getting a bunch of hits and visitors and favorite stories etc. but like no reviews! I hate to be picky but I love reviews :) I know you guys are reading my story, and I appreciate it but I like some verbal feedback, please! Thanks for everything else though :)**

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"Ugh," I groaned, taking a huge sip of coffee. "I've never… had… a hangover before." The hotel hallway was peaceful and quiet. The only sound was the soft thud of our shoes, dulled by the thick gold carpeting. Angela and I made our way down to the lobby of the hotel; she was cheerful and awake while I was grumpy and ready for the day to be over. It might have just been my headache, but the lights seemed extremely harsh and blaring, causing me to squint and crumple my face in pain.

Angela chuckled and patted my back, "It was bound to happen someday. So did anything fun happen at all last night? Besides you coming home passed out?"

I shrugged, "Nothing too great. I still don't remember how I got back last night, though."

"I just heard a knock at the door and there you were, alone in the hall."

Taking another gulp of my hot coffee, I pondered her reasoning. I had no memory of coming back from the night club last night. It was really pathetic. Never in my life had I ever been inebriated beyond comprehension. I would be eternally grateful to whoever brought me back safely in my drunken state. There was a fuzzy memory of the night club, meeting some gorgeous woman named Rosalie, and getting into a drinking competition (which I obviously must have lost) against Edward. And then there was a serious make out session—a seriously _amazing_ make out session. Problem was I didn't know who the mystery man was or whether it was real or just a dream. "Someone from the office probably took me home. I honestly can't remember. But I do remember kissing someone," I admitted, slightly blushing.

Angela gasped, "Oh, really? Who was it?"

"Please don't judge me," I laughed, "I don't remember. Maybe it was a dream, it was too good to be true. Either way, he was one hell of a kisser…"

"Well, I sure hope for your sake it wasn't someone from the office," Angela winked.

I imagined kissing Mike or Tyler and covered my mouth. "I would just die!" We both laughed at the sheer embarrassment.

"Hey Angela. Morning Bella! Jeez are you feeling alright?" Mike waved happily from down the hall as we waited for the next elevator.

"_So_ great… I mean really I'm just on top of the world. Couldn't be any better," I grunted sarcastically.

Mike's face was still bright and smiley and completely unfazed by my cynicism as he approached us. Angela bit back a smile and turned her attention elsewhere. The guy had some serious issues. "Well, that's good to hear. I mean, I thought you wouldn't even have enough energy to roll out of bed today with the way you were behaving last night."

I sighed, might as well hear the worst of it now. "How bad was I?"

"You weren't that bad…" Mike rocked on his heels nervously, obviously lying.

"Just spit it out Mike."

"Okay. You were _so_ hammered! Sorry, it was true. But man, I didn't know you had the balls to say that to Mr. Cullen. I have to admit, I've grown a newfound respect for you, Bella," Mike shook his head grinning.

I choked on my hot coffee, "What exactly did I say to Mr. Cullen?"

"Come on, you seriously don't remember?" Mike chuckled. I glared at him critically, waiting for an answer impatiently.

"Something like, 'I just told you to shut up… Shut the fuck up'," he said in a poor imitation of my voice.

I groaned, "_Shit_." At least I didn't profess my undying lust for him, but this was probably much worse. I had told my boss to shut the fuck up. I probably won't ever be able to use him as a reference.

"Wow Bella, I guess you were pretty hammered," Angela stifled a laugh.

"Man, I never thought I'd see that side of you Bella," Mike laughed. I narrowed my eyes humorlessly. "Okay, sorry. I guess you don't remember him taking you back to the hotel either?"

I covered my burning face with my hands, feeling completely mortified. "No! Why him—of all people…" _I really hope I didn't puke on him._

Mike shrugged uncomfortably, "He offered to take you."

Angela nudged me in the shoulder. "Did you hear that? He _offered_ to take you," she smiled at me warmly. She also had the delusional vision of Edward and me together as a couple. Even if there was just a slight possibility to that idea, I knew after last night it surely would never happen. I'd be lucky if Edward even trusted me as his assistant still.

I rolled my eyes, "That doesn't mean anything. He probably just wanted to reprimand me. I guess I'm just glad I was too drunk to remember it."

When the elevator reached the first floor, we made our way towards the rest of the group waiting in the lobby. Edward stuck out from the crowd like a sore thumb. His hair was disheveled, as usual, and his tall, toned frame was draped perfectly in a dark designer business suit. The only thing I wanted to do to that pretty jacket was rip it off… I blinked a few times and turned my back on him before any more tempting visions could invade my mind. My hangover was still throbbing throughout my head, my brain felt so swollen that it just might crack out of my skull.

Tyler turned around and waved at us, "Hey Angela, Mike. Ha! And how are you feeling this morning Sleeping Beauty?"

I frowned and waved him off continuing to sip my coffee. Everyone chatted excitedly in the group except me and Edward, who was off in his own corner. Although he appeared calm and stoic on the outside, I knew inwardly he was fidgeting. After working with the man for this long I could just tell by the look on his face how he was feeling. I turned away from him, too ashamed to look at him. I hoped he would just forget about last night. I hoped he would never think about it again. It was the single black smudge on my spotless career and the most unprofessional thing I had ever done.

"Ms. Swan?" Edward's smooth voice called from behind me.

I turned around hesitantly, "Yes?"

His emerald eyes shifted away from my face and he kept his gaze downward. "Can we," he hesitated and then looked at me through his eyelashes, turning only his eyes up, "Do you have the reports I asked you to prepare for me?"

"Oh," I jumped slightly and shuffled through my bag for it. "Here it is, sir."

He swiftly took them from me and flipped through quickly. "Good," he cleared his throat and turned away again slightly, tucking the file under his arm. "Thank you."

I nodded and began to walk away until he called to me again, "Ms. Swan, wait."

Freezing in my tracks, I cringed before turning to face him. This is what I was dreading. This must be "the talk". I could just tell by the tone of his voice. Well, here goes nothing… "Yes, Mr. Cullen?"

His eyebrows were pinched together severely but his green eyes were tender, glowing somehow. "Ms. Swan, about last night—"

"About that," I interrupted him. "I-I'm sorry for everything. When I'm drunk, I-I tend not to think things through. Please sir, just… forget about last night. I'm truly sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. It was all a mistake, one big mistake," I spoke quickly, trying to explain myself before he could do something rash like fire me.

Edward kept his gaze downward, his mouth agape, frozen in shock. He quickly shut his mouth and pressed his lips together in a tense line matching his pinched eyebrows. His eyes were still soft, the most beautiful color of green.

"I'm sorry," I bowed my head. "I-If you'll just excuse me…" I left him at the window alone, letting him mull over whatever he was thinking. I was more than lucky to be getting away with my head still intact. Hopefully I had said the right thing. If he were planning to cut me, whatever I said must've changed his mind. I idly wandered back to the group, too distracted to actively participate in their conversation. Edward was still over in the corner, tensed and frozen. Part of me wanted to go back and ease him. I knew there was nothing I could really do, but I just hated to see him like this. It was a strange impulse and I tried to shake it off.

"Come on, Bella. Let's go," Angela's warm voice called me back to reality. And so began another long day of boring seminars and workshops.

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The next two days flew by rapidly. Edward and I saw the rest of the group off to the airport on the last evening, marking the beginning of the next few days alone with Edward. He had blatantly ignored me ever since that horrific night and I knew that he couldn't keep silent for the rest of the week. He'd have to say something to me eventually. This wasn't middle school, he couldn't just ignore me. We were still business partners and had some major plans to discuss over Project Masen.

The ride back from the O'Hare airport was completely silent save for the sound of the radio dimly playing in the background and the crunching of gravel beneath us. Edward cleared his throat softly, "Ms. Swan?"

"Yes?" I kept looking out my respective window.

"I hope it's alright with you, but I switched your room in the hotel so we'd be on the same floor." His voice was muted, yet silky as always. I turned towards him, a question mark plainly written on my forehead.

"Is that why you asked me to pack my suitcase?"

"Yes," he replied sheepishly. "I just thought it'd be more convenient."

I sighed. _More convenient for what?_ Just the thought of Edward alone in a big hotel suite with a soft king sized bed, unlimited room service, a "Do not disturb" sign… I was already thinking about things I definitely should not have been thinking about. Edward stared at me curiously, looking as if he were waiting for me to disagree. "No, you're right. It's fine," I mumbled.

"Okay," he nodded and rolled up his sleeves.

The top of his shirt was undone and his tie was loosened, hanging precariously around his neck. He looked so casual and relaxed, even his slightly slumped posture. It was disorienting. I was used to the Edward with a stick up his ass, not Edward the actual human being. I felt slightly ashamed of myself as I studied him from the other side of the car. I only ever saw him as the sexy unemotional asshole who was my boss. I never really tried to get to know him. Then again, we had a very strange relationship. The only time he actually seemed civil around me were those days when we would run together at the gym. I gazed at him from the corner of my eye, studying every inch of him. Then he shifted slightly and I saw just a peek of his bare chest. And a faint scar. It was like déjà vu. That single image propelled me into a memory from that night. A raging tidal wave of memories came flooding back in such a torrent I couldn't stop it.

The first night... A taxi ride… Someone's warm grasp… That scar… That kiss… The amazing feel of those lips… Edward's lips… Me kissing Edward.

_What the hell, Bella, you idiot!_

I gasped audibly, earning a strange glance from Edward. There was no doubt in my mind it was this beautiful man next to me I had kissed. Well, the term _kiss_ was putting it lightly. If memory serves me right I believe we had a full blown make out session. At least he lived up to expectation… My cheeks began to burn and I quickly turned away from Edward, cringing towards the window.

"What is it, Ms. Swan?" Edward spoke coolly.

"Nothing," I squeaked, "I just, um, remembered something I had to do when we get back." Edward simply nodded towards me with a raised eyebrow and turned back towards his window. He ran a hand through his hair and I remembered how soft it felt when my own hands were tangled in his bronze locks…

_Oh my god I made out with my boss!_

The realization hit me again with a fresh wave of shock and horror. And the worst part of it was I wanted to do it again. I knew how wrong it was, but Edward was a great kisser. Hell, who was I kidding? He was beyond great—amazing, phenomenal. The feel of his hair, his skin, his lips… The pure adrenaline that coursed through me when we kissed was electrifying. I wanted to experience it again and again, preferably when I wasn't drunk so I could feel the full intensity of it. But I couldn't. He was my boss. The end. I suddenly became distinctly aware of Edward sitting not two feet away from me. I could feel every little movement he made, sense every time he shifted his eyes in my direction, every breath he took.

"You seem restless. Is something wrong?" Edward's velvety voice filled the condensed space around us. Is something wrong? Oh yeah. Remember a few nights ago when we made it to first base? Do you think that'll affect our business relationship?

"No, no, I'm fine. Really," I gave him a weak smile.

Edward kept his unblinking gaze on me for a few seconds before turning away, "We're almost there."

I nodded but knew he didn't see it. As I studied his profile in the dim lighting, a million questions soared through my mind. I wondered if he had remembered that night, that kiss. What did he think of it? Was he longing for another kiss just as much as I was? Was he drunk, too? I figured, with my luck, he was sober and completely aware of our wrongdoing. But if he was, how come he never brought it up? Was he really kind enough to let it pass or was he just truly disgusted that he had kissed me? I wasn't completely drunk but I wasn't exactly conscious either… And then I remembered the morning after with a crisp new perspective.

"_Ms. Swan, about last night…"_

I closed my eyes and leaned against the cold window pane. He wasn't concerned with my drunken outbursts. He wanted to talk about that kiss. That's why he had been so fidgety that morning. And what did I tell him? I told him to forget about it. I was just drunk. It was all a mistake. For some reason my words suddenly twisted to seem harsh and cold rather than apologetic. But I knew that's exactly what I should've said. I shouldn't regret telling him that. But I did. Did I hurt his feelings? I hoped not. What was wrong with me?

"We're here," Edward nearly whispered, tapping my shoulder gently.

I opened my eyes and was greeted by the most enchantingly beautiful shade of green. Edward's eyebrows were drawn in carefully but I could tell from his expression something was bothering him. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes," I breathed, entranced by his emerald eyes.

"Come on, then," he motioned towards the door then stepped out ahead of me. As I was scrambling to pick myself up I knocked my purse over and half of its contents spilled out onto the floor of the car. I stooped over to gather all the random items that had accrued at the bottom of my purse when I came across a familiar small white envelope that was now slightly crumpled.

"Ms. Swan?" Edward's soft voice called from outside. I kept the envelope concealed in my hand and climbed out.

As I let Edward lead me across the lobby, to the front desk, and up in the elevators I was suddenly itching with anxiety to open the mysterious envelope. I didn't know what had gotten into me, but I had a sudden dying urge to see what was inside that envelope, as if my life depended on it. Edward asked me several times again and again if I was feeling well and I responded with quick short answers. The little piece of paper was burning my skin, irking my curiosity. I remembered finding it under my desk the day we left for Chicago, but had forgotten about it completely until now. We finally reached my room and I was practically bouncing up and down as Edward reviewed plans for the next day and told me his room number and other bits of information that my mind didn't retain.

"Is that clear, Ms. Swan?" Edward's voice cut through my attention.

"Hm? Oh, yes of course Mr. Cullen," I replied shortly, not really hearing his demand.

Edward cocked a brow and crossed his arms clearly seeing right through me. "I don't know what is wrong with you, but you better snap back to yourself by tomorrow." I nodded eagerly, encouraging him to leave. "Tomorrow, seven o'clock." He said authoritatively.

"Okay, night!" I quickly responded before shutting my door.

Finally alone at last, I tore the envelope open and tossed it aside. On the small white card was a short note written in a perfectly swirled script. My stomach twisted at the familiarity of the handwriting. I knew exactly who it was from and my heart thudded faster. _Edward_. It read:

_You always keep me guessing… If this is your favorite, I'll leave you alone. If it's wrong, get rid of it and meet me at La Bella Italia at 8. You can let me try again. Besides, I believe I owe you dinner._

_-E.C._

I read the note over and over, not fully comprehending it but rather just looking at the shape of each letter and each word and the way it was all elegantly written on the pretty paper. I was too busy marveling at the fact Edward had written this note—for _me_. My insides swelled and churned in true eighth-grade-crush fashion. I felt like a giddy teenager, something I haven't felt in years. A smile began to lift my lips as I ran my fingers against the delicate stationary, verifying its existence, as if it'd just poof away any second. A part of me knew this was the wrong reaction, wrong things to be thinking, everything about this situation was just wrong wrong _wrong_.

This was more than your average little office note. This was an invitation. Edward had practically been asking me out on a date.

"Oh my…" I whispered to myself.

All it took was the one little note to piece things together. It was Edward who had given me that cupcake, months ago, not Jake. And he was dead right about my favorite flavor (I still would've gone to dinner with him). And that's why he was so mad when he found out I was on a blind date. He saw me give away that cupcake. He assumed I got the card. I suddenly felt like a horrible person. Glancing at my watch, I saw it was a only little past eight. Before I knew it, I found myself walking, practically jogging, down the hall towards Edward's room. We might as well be breaking a million office regulations by now, to hell with it. I knew what I was doing, I was giving in. I was breaking the rules. I was surrendering. Even though I didn't want to prove Alice and Angela right, and even though I still thought of Jake from time to time, and even though I knew I was putting my job at risk, I knew there was something between Edward and I that I couldn't ignore any longer.

And for once I didn't want to continue my little game. I had made the biggest mistake. I let myself fall for the enemy, just as Jasper predicted. I laughed to myself, but I didn't care. I sucked in a huge gulp of air as I raised my hand to Edward's door and heard the muted _knock-knock._


	16. Sparks

**Oh, you all are so fabulous :) Thanks for all the reviews! I loved reading them all. This update is later than I would've hoped, but better than last time haha. Sorry to leave you all hanging last chapter ;) No cliffies this time, I promise! **

**Yay Labor Day! Hope you all have a great weekend. Thanks again for all the support, keep it up :) !**

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I stood in the elaborate hallway awkwardly, and completely alone. My insides were churning and each second that passed felt like two years. I pulled out the small card again, reading it word for word and absorbing every little detail about it. My smile grew wider and I had a swelling feeling of hope. Suddenly I was so sure this is what I needed to do, my head was clear of doubts. It might have been a spur-of-the-moment high, but it certainly felt absolutely _right_. As soon as I heard the door click open, the words began to rush from my mouth.

"Edward, I have something to tell you—" I finally tore my gaze away from the note, expecting to be met by those breathtaking emerald eyes.

My smile fell when I heard that familiar husky voice, "Bella? Is that you? What are you doing here?"

That was the exact same thing he had said to me that horrific day—the worst birthday of my life. I stood in the looming figure of my ex-boyfriend, not quite sure what to do with myself. My stomach fell and my throat dried up. My chest began to tighten, I felt like crying, screaming, smiling, and running all at the same time. A part of me wanted to jump into his arms and never let go while another part wanted to sock him in the face (although that would probably break my hand). I wanted him, but at the same time I wished it were Edward who had opened the door. I remained silent and still as World War Three erupted inside of me.

"Bella, I know you didn't mean to come here. Who's Edward?" Jake questioned me, his dark eyes swimming with emotion. He looked the same yet different. He didn't have that cheerful aura about him, and he looked tired more than anything.

"Jake," I sighed, "What are _you_ doing here? In Chicago, I mean."

"I've been coming here on and off for awhile, shooting a lot of projects," he spoke softly. Jake was a photographer and I had completely forgotten he traveled fairly often. "Look, Bells, we need to talk."

"No," I stepped away from him. "There's nothing you can say to me now," my face was hot and I turned away before tears could start spilling from my eyes.

I started to walk away but Jake's hot hand wrapped around my wrist before I could escape. "Bella, please," he pleaded urgently, "There are a million things I need to say. Just give me a few minutes. No, not even that much, just _one_ minute. Please?"

My breath hitched. This is what I had been waiting for. I had wanted him to come back, to plead and to beg for me. But now that it was happening, I didn't want it so badly anymore. "Look," I exhaled, "I have nothing to say to you and even you have something to say to me I _don't_ want to hear it. I'm sorry," I spoke sternly, not wanting him to see there was a small inkling of me that yearned to give him another chance.

"Please, Bells," his eyes were dark and intense and his lips were slightly twisted into a frown. I had never seen him so vulnerable before, and I hated it. I just shook my head and began to walk away again but he reached for me and grabbed my wrist again with more force.

"Please let go of me," I demanded.

"I know what I—"

"Jake, stop it," I spoke more firmly, trying to tug away from his grip. It was impossible, he was too strong. His dark russet skin contrasted with my pale arm, I trembled at his touch.

"No," he looked big and intimidating, but I knew Jake wouldn't hurt me. His eyes were soft and they put all of his sentiments on display.

I responded sharply, "I don't want to hear it, Jake. Let. Go."

"Bella—" he started again but then I felt someone else's warm touch on my arm. I turned and my heart skipped a beat at the sight of Edward. He had his hands on Jake and I, his forearm muscles were flexed and he looked like he could rip off Jake's arm if he so wished. Those beautiful green eyes were hardened and he had his eyebrows pressed together sternly.

"Let her go," his tone was clipped and severe. I could see Jake growing suspicious and defensive as his eyes flickered between Edward and I. He finally let go of me and jerked his hand away from Edward.

"Is this why you won't hear me out? Is this who you were really looking for? Please don't tell me you've moved on so quickly." Jake's voice was cold and hard, but I could sense an underlying hint of remorse. Edward shifted so he was standing next to me yet still slightly in front. His broad shoulders were nearly obstructing my vision (which consequently was such a bad thing).

"You don't need to worry about her. She's none of your concern anymore." Edward's voice was velvety yet seething. It was kind of sexy (okay, _really_ sexy), but I was too distracted by more pressing matters than to gush over how gorgeous my boss was.

My eyes met with Jake's, and I turned away quickly. "Who is this, Bella? Have you already found someone new?" Jake kept his eyes on me, completely ignoring Edward's presence.

Edward and I both turned our heads toward each other at the same time. I gazed at his flawless face, studying each and every one of his perfect features. I couldn't help but feel a pang of longing as I looked at the beautiful man next to me. How I wished it was that easy, that Edward was already mine and I was his. Maybe it was a sign from fate. We couldn't ever be together, no matter how much I wanted it. I knew I couldn't be with Edward, and I knew I wasn't ready for Jake. "It's none of your concern anymore," I nearly whispered, quoting Edward.

And with that, I turned and walked away, in—I realized a second too late—the complete opposite direction of my room. My feet kept moving, and I was just along for the ride. I heard Edward following behind me and didn't try to stop him—partly because I didn't want to be rude, but mostly because I really wanted him around at the moment. An empty elevator dinged open ahead of me and I turned quickly into it, Edward following closely.

"Where are you going?" he murmured behind me.

I opened my mouth to reply with a simple "I don't know" when I heard the familiar song subtly playing from the elevator speakers. I loved this song and couldn't help but laugh at the oddity of the situation. Why would a five-star hotel be playing Journey in the elevators? I don't know but it amused me to no end.

_Don't stop believing_

_Hold on to the feeling…_

"Are you taking the midnight train, going anywhere?" Edward chuckled beside me.

"Oh, yeah, I'm just a small town girl. Would you like to join me?" I replied sarcastically, turning towards him. I felt my lips curling into a smile.

"Well, hey, I'm just a city boy. And I would love to," Edward gave me that crooked grin of his. I couldn't help but feel breathless. It had been so long since I had seen him genuinely smile like that. It made me ache on the inside. _You can never have him… You can never have him…_

I shook my head slightly and turned away from his hypnotic eyes. The golden doors opened to the lobby and we made it outside into the cool breezy night. "Honestly," I cleared my throat. "I don't know where I'm going. Literally. I've never been to Chicago," I laughed humorlessly, taking in the shining lights, swimming traffic, skyscrapers—I felt so small.

"Allow me," Edward gestured down the block, slightly bowing. Rosalie was right. He really was a gentleman—when he wasn't being a conceited asshole.

"Well, I really shouldn't be wandering the city. I have to prepare for tomorrow's presentation and—"

Edward interrupted me, "No, if you want to go, we'll go."

"Really?"

"Who's the boss?" He winked.

I swooned internally before replying, "Well, if you insist."

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"I told you, room 1207. Don't you ever listen?" Edward rolled his eyes at me.

"I swear you had said room 1211. Jeez, sometimes I wish I wasn't partially deaf." I hit myself in the forehead. Edward laughed at me and leaned back against the bench. We were in Grant Park in front of the gorgeous Buckingham Fountain with the beautifully lit city serving as a backdrop. The place was mostly empty—apparently everyone was at a concert in Millennium Park. I watched as the water sprouted in the air, playing with the different colored lights and creating vivid patterns in the air. Pink and red arches of water shot through the air, breaking the dark blue Chicago sky. "It's even more stunning in person." I sighed dreamily.

Edward shrugged, "I've seen it a million times before. But you picked the right night to come see it. After today it's going to shut off until mid-April."

"Well, let me have my tourist moment, okay? You should just sit back and take it all in. Sometimes you have to take a second glance to see and really appreciate the true beauty of something."

"I'd have to agree," he murmured quietly.

We sat silently together, small speckles of water splashing our faces every now and then. It was chilly and the breeze played with my hair, swishing it this way and that. I could hear far off sounds of Lake Michigan, music from the concert, cars honking, and the city just going on about its business. But aside from the background noise, it was quiet and peaceful. Despite my breathtaking surroundings, I couldn't help but gaze at Edward's profile, the sharp fluorescent lights accentuating the perfect angles of his features. I knew I wanted him, but that wasn't the problem—I wanted _him_ to want _me_. I'd never had that satisfying feeling of knowing somebody truly wants you as much as you wanted them. But even if, in some strange dimension, he did want me, what would we do about it? I decided not to think too much about what could be and focus on the present. "I like Chicago. Why'd Jake have to ruin it?" I muttered to myself, but of course Edward heard me.

"I meant to ask you about that. _He_ was your ex? This whole time?" he creased his forehead in thought.

"Yeah, what do you mean 'this whole time'? Who'd you think was my ex?" I turned towards him expectantly.

"So who was the big guy that day in the lobby?" he answered me with a question.

I took a moment to think and then remembered. "Oh! That was my cousin, Emmett. He's from here, you know. He had just dropped in for a surprise visit to Seattle is all."

Edward's lips twitched slightly into a smile. "So that same night, you were with Emmett, your _cousin_?"

"What is this, twenty questions? Yes. He picked me up from work, we had lunch, hung out for the rest of the day, and he needed a place to crash so he stayed at my apartment. I was with him the whole night," I huffed exasperatedly.

"So, you weren't, you know, _with_ anyone else that night?" he asked me, looking a bit uncomfortable.

"No, just Emmett," I shrugged. Then it dawned on me. "Wait, don't tell me… You were the one who called that night!" I gasped. Edward grinned sheepishly, ducking his head in the cutest way. He looked like a little boy who just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. I couldn't help bursting into laughter. Well that explains a lot. I imagined Edward calling me and assuming what he had interrupted…

"Okay, so if you weren't, doing, well—with anyone that night, then what exactly were you and your cousin doing when I called?" Edward raised an eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes, still giggly from my fit of hysteria. "We were having a tickle fight."

Edward threw his head back in laughter, exposing his long elegant neck. "Oh really? A tickle fight, what are you like eight?" he chuckled sarcastically.

"Well excuse me Mr. 'I'm too cool to have fun', but you're never too old to have tickle fights. And just for your information, I wouldn't try and challenging _me _if I were you. If tickling were an Olympic sport, I would metal. Man, I swear I would've won that night if Emmett wasn't so damn big! Stupid meat head," I crossed my arms and shook my head, thinking about my idiotic (and loveable) older cousin. Edward kept laughing and I stared at him skeptically.

"What's so funny?" I asked, not being able to resist laughing with him.

"No, it's nothing," he smirked, pulling up one side of his mouth.

"Oh? Well don't laugh if you're not going to share it with me," I grinned up at him teasingly.

Edward shook his head, still smirking. "Do you realize just how cute you really are?" he turned to me, his expression was still playful but his eyes were smoldering, if emeralds could do that. My mouth was still stretched in a smile and I froze, caught in the strength of his gaze. I couldn't move if I wanted to and felt stone cold, yet my heart was beating rapidly against my chest, intensifying the cool silence. Two children suddenly came running from out of nowhere, scattering pebbles and laughing together carelessly, their parents sauntering not too far behind. I jumped and turned away from Edward blushing.

After a few agonizing seconds, Edward coughed, "So, um, should we go back now?"

"Sounds good," I agreed quickly, standing up too soon and nearly falling over. Outstretching my hands instinctively, I was met by Edward's warm grasp rather than the hard sandy pavement. "Thanks," I muttered. He always seemed to catch me at the right time.

"Do you always fall this much?" Edward chuckled, his breath caressing my neck softly.

"Afraid so," I straightened up and detached myself from his grip unwillingly. We began walking away from the fountain just as the center jet shot up for the hourly water display, a giant stream of water dominating the sky. The two children began screaming with delight, running around in the sprinkles while their parents uselessly called for them.

As we walked down Michigan Avenue underneath the streetlights, Edward kept up a lively conversation. Although before I had claimed he was much better silent, he proved me wrong. We talked about anything and everything, and he was actually charming and funny. I guess I wasn't really too surprised, he is Mr. Perfect after all…

At one point he had me laughing so hard at an impersonation of Les that I had tears in my eyes and my sides were aching. In the middle of my laughing fit, a strand of my hair blew out of place and Edward reached over and gently tucked it behind my ear. Although our skin barely made contact, he left me with an empty burning desire for his touch. We stopped for a long moment, which felt like an eternity. His eyes were twinkling and his mouth was pulled up in my favorite crooked grin. Tears were fighting to spill out of my eyes and I still had a goofy smile plastered on my face. Everything I was feeling felt condensed in the space around us, hanging in the air. I felt so vulnerable and light-headed under his gaze—but I didn't want it to stop.

A car drove by us and honked loudly, slicing the moment in half. We both were startled and jerked our heads away and continued walking as if nothing had happened. Now as we walked, there was no conversation, just tensed silence. I silently cursed fate, ruining another perfect moment. It was almost as if the world was giving me more reminders to stay in line, telling me that I couldn't have the god-like man beside me even though I already knew my boundaries. There was still some traffic and the crowd was dwindling down, leaving us to wander the streets mostly alone.

"Is that the Art Institute?" I gasped, pointing at the large edifice guarded by two bronze lions.

"Yes," Edward grinned, "You sound very enthusiastic. Interested?"

"You have no idea," I ran up to it, stroking one of the large granite slabs underneath the closest lion. "I've always wanted to visit this museum. I hear the Impressionist gallery is amazing…" I looked up the staircase longingly.

"Well, maybe we can. I believe the Art Institute free days are Thursday and Fridays, I'll double check." Edward shrugged, grinning up at the bronze figure.

"Really?" I smiled up at him eagerly.

He chuckled, "_Really_. It's no trouble at all. And if you're truly that fascinated by it, I wouldn't mind a bit."

"Thanks," I stepped back and looked up at the Institute, admiring the arches and columns. I was impatient, feeling like a child fervently awaiting Christmas morning. "I really hope we can go soon," I smirked, "Besides, I believe you owe me dinner. This will make up for it."

Edward raised an eyebrow at me, "Oh, I do?"

I grinned and pulled out the card from my jacket. He ran a hand through his hair and ducked his head smirking, slightly blushing. I bit my lip to prevent myself from squealing. "So you did get it…" he mused.

"Yeah, well, sort of," I chuckled. "I didn't read it until just two hours ago, I'm sorry. I didn't know that cupcake was from you. I thought it was from Jake, and I was furious," I blushed feverishly.

"Oh?" Edward cocked his head to the side. "I'm sorry for the miscommunication. How'd I do on flavor guessing, then?"

"What makes you think I should tell you?" I winked playfully.

He flashed a heart-wrenching smile at me, showing all of his perfectly white teeth. Was that his reason? Because I would do anything to see that smile again, it was only second to his crooked grin which would always make me swoon.

"Fine," I sighed, "You were dead right. I don't know how you did it."

Edward laughed, "I don't know how I did it either. You're very hard to read," his voice trailed off at the end.

"Thanks. What's that supposed to mean?" I scoffed.

"Nothing, it just keeps things interesting," his green eyes were sparkling as he gazed at me.

I smiled to myself. To him, I kept things interesting. Who would've ever guessed Bella Swan could captivate Mr. Perfect? I certainly didn't (which says a lot about my self-esteem). In terms of flirting and relationships, this was a good thing. In terms of me trying to avoid this unavoidably sexy man, this was a very _very_ bad thing.


	17. Body Language

**AHHHHH. College is going to kill me! Haha, not really. I'm just being a good girl and studying more than I need too :) **

**Sorry for the long awaited updated (I know I know, what's new?) But here's the next chapter. Thanks for all the support everyone, keep it up!!**

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I sighed contentedly to myself, not wanting to wake up and face the day. The blinds were partially open, allowing sunlight to spill across the pristine white blankets and sheets. I kept my eyes closed, willing time to stand still just for five more minutes…

Suddenly a man gently wrapped his arms around me, surrounding me in a warm embrace. Though my eyes stayed closed, a wide smile lit up my face. I could feel every inch of his muscles pressed against my back. Our legs were tangled together under the sheets and he was planting soft kisses up and down my neck.

"Good morning, beautiful," he whispered into my hair in a smooth quiet voice that could only be Edward's, while his fingers traced dangerously light patterns along my ribcage.

I chuckled and rolled over to greet the god-like man lying next to me when a resounding thud woke me up and I felt the air leave my lungs. I jolted upright, sending a pulsing rush of blood right to my head. I was sprawled on the floor next to the bed intertwined in a mess of stark sheets, the alarm on my phone ringing like crazy. "Shit!" I exclaimed, lunging to shut off the annoying sound.

_It was just a dream…_

If only that could be my wakeup call every morning, it sure as hell beat that annoying beeping noise. I closed my eyes and let my heart rate fall back down to a normal pace. Sighing, I heaved myself up carefully, still feeling light-headed from gracefully falling off the bed and then sitting up too soon. Admittedly, that wasn't the first time I dreamt of Edward Cullen. But it was the first time it had ever felt so solid, so _real_.

"Bella Swan, you get more and more pathetic by the day…" I yawned to myself.

I had my foot in the door of the bathroom when I heard a knock on my door. Without thinking too much, I went to open it, not really knowing who to expect. Let's face it. I'm _not_ a morning person. My brain doesn't turn on until lunch time. "Oh!" I gasped when Edward was standing in my doorway, looking clean and polished (and sexy as ever) in a dark suit and tie. He had his mouth slightly opened, as if he were about to say something, but then snapped it shut. Taking in my form, he raised his eyebrows before ducking his head to glance at his watch uncomfortably.

He cleared his throat and looked away, "Do you know what time it is?"

I looked around anxiously and realized, with horror, I was still sporting a tank top, my crazy bed hair, and a pair of polka dotted boy shorts. I groaned and attempted to hide myself behind the door unnoticeably. Where did I pick up the habit of wearing underwear to sleep? Oh yeah, I was a broke college student who didn't see the point in buying cute pajamas no one would ever see (yeah I was that pathetic). "I'm so sorry! What time is it, I overslept… I'm not late am I?" I stammered frantically.

"No! No, it's just I thought we were going to go over the presentation beforehand?" Edward asked more than stated.

I cringed, "Oh, yeah." That's why he had said seven o'clock last night. Not like I was paying much attention anyway. The meeting really wasn't until nine so I still had some time to pull myself together, but I had completely forgot Edward wanted to review. "I guess I just slept through my alarms. All twenty of them… But I'm _so _sorry, if you'll just give me ten min—"

Edward shook his head and grinned sheepishly, "No, take your time. I kept you out late last night… It's my fault, really. _I'm_ sorry." He leaned forward slightly to look at me face to face. His emerald green eyes were blazing with sincerity, burning a hole right through my heart. Seriously, who could deny those eyes? I had found my kryptonite.

"O-okay," I said breathlessly.

He pulled away, still grinning, and stuffed his hands into his pockets casually. "Just come by my room whenever you're ready," his voice was smooth as satin and I couldn't help fantasizing that it was an invitation that had nothing to do with work.

I nodded slowly and he turned to walk down the hall. Not being able to resist, I leaned against the doorway and gazed at his retreating form. His bronze hair glimmered under the fluorescent lights and I noticed it was tidied up a bit. It still had a certain messy quality that was truly Edward's, but it was more tame than usual. And I wouldn't normally consider myself a butt girl, but I couldn't deny the fact that Edward Cullen had one hot piece of ass…

I laughed to myself and went to prepare for the day, methodically brushing my teeth, washing my face, and taming my hair.

Today was probably one of the most important days of the entire Chicago trip, let alone my life. The fate of the entire Masen Project depended on our presentation in a few short hours. We would be giving the presentation in front of the highest people on the Onyx Corporation ladder, talk about an intimidating audience. I knew I should've been going over my speech in my head and important numbers and figures, but all I could think about was how much I wished my dream were real, waking up with next to Edward, and really just Edward in general—his smile, his hair, his laugh, how he ducks his head in the cutest way whenever he feels uncomfortable…

I snapped my mind back from wandering and willed myself to concentrate on the crucial events lying ahead of me. I knew how important the Masen Project was to the company, especially Edward, and he needed me as focused and ready as possible.

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"I did terrible. I must've talked so fast they could hardly understand me. Jeez, it went by really fast. I bet I was speed talking huh? They probably weren't even following a word I said. I didn't make any sense. I was probably a babbling fool. I sucked!" I vented to Edward as we sat in a small downtown bar, tired and cranky from a long day.

He laughed heartily, earning him a death glare from me. "You're a babbling fool right now. I didn't have time to tell you right away, but you were anything _but_ a fool during that presentation. You were brilliant, honestly. You're just nervous, don't psych yourself out," Edward said with cool confidence.

I waved him off, "Yeah, yeah well _you_ were great. You're just saying things so I won't feel like an idiot in comparison. How can you be so at ease when I just ruined the future of Project Masen?"

He stopped to turn and look at me, "Because, I'm not just _saying_ things. I mean it."

I found myself trapped in his hypnotizing gaze once more, unable to think or speak coherently. My body seemed to tense and relax all at once. His lips were curled up slightly in a smile and I couldn't help but smile back. "Thanks," I sighed.

Edward smirked, "Now, I'm sure you've had a long day of seminars and conferences, why don't you just relax and get something to drink?"

I shrugged, "Are you paying?"

"I suppose," he rolled his eyes.

"Alright then, a strawberry daiquiri please," I smiled at the bartender, who winked back at me. "Oh, and a whiskey on the rocks for him," I motioned towards Edward. The bartender nodded and headed away to make our drinks.

Edward gave me strange look. "What?" I asked.

"How did you know that's what I wanted?" he quirked a brow.

I smiled to myself, "Well, that's what you_ always_ get."

He responded with a quiet, "Hm."

The bar was crawling with people. Some of them were still dressed in work attire while others just casually meeting with friends. It was low-key and not as swanky as Eclipse, decorated in warm reds and browns with classic rock playing in the background. I was a bit surprised by Edward's choice for the evening. I was expecting another high-end lounge, but of course he surprised me yet again.

"Do you come here often?" I wondered aloud as I gazed at the drink selections behind the bar.

"Is that your best pick up line?" Edward snickered.

I shoved him playfully, "_No_, I was just curious. And I could dole out better pick up lines than that..."

He laughed, "I doubt it."

"Oh is that so? Well why don't you teach me your ways then, Master," I replied sarcastically, pretending to bow down to him in reverence.

Edward grinned and shook his head, "We've already discussed this a million times, Ms. Swan. It is _not_ going to happen."

"You're no fun," I scoffed as the bartender came back with our drinks in hand. I sipped my daiquiri contentedly, watching a scruffy man and leggy blonde woman flirt shamelessly with each other at a table not too far away. "This place is packed for a weekday," I murmured as I continued to watch the pair interact.

"It's Thursday, happy hour, I'm not too surprised," Edward responded smoothly. I nodded in response as I saw the blonde throw her head back in laughter and the man took the opportunity to eye her cleavage.

"What a pig!" I scoffed, shaking my head.

Edward shifted, "Who?"

"Over there," I motioned towards the table, just in time to witness the man rake over her body one more time. I sneered in disapproval and took another sip of my drink.

"What, does that surprise you? Most of the men come in here with one goal and one goal only," he smirked giving me a meaningful look. I imagined Edward coming in here to pick up women and a small part of me burned with anger towards this incredibly sexy man, who probably seduced whoever he set his eyes on.

I raised an eyebrow, "Oh, well in that case you are _all_ pigs."

"Thank you," he said coolly.

I rolled my eyes, "I just feel sorry for her, being preyed on unsuspectingly."

Edward threw them a quick look before replying, "I wouldn't give her your sympathy. She's enjoying the attention. She _wants_ him to prey on her."

"And how in the world would you know that?" I crossed my arms and stared at him expectantly.

He leaned towards me, surrounding me in his green gaze. I was so overpowered by his close proximity, feeling the heat from his skin and his cool sweet breath. I could simply lean forward and our lips would be touching, a temptation I was fighting off with all of my willpower. I tried to keep a straight face as Edward smirked at me, but judging by my inability to breathe I probably wasn't doing very well. "Body language," he replied in a smooth hushed voice.

"Oh," I said faintly as he straightened up and took a sip of his drink. "So what, are you saying you can judge a person with one simple look?" I asked accusingly.

"I'm not judging. It's just true. I give them oh... say five minutes before they leave. Together. Can't you just see them itching to get out of here?" he asked me as if it were so obvious a blind man would see his point.

"No," I sneered. "But I'll test your theory. We'll check back in with them in five minutes. What about…" I scanned the place for another interesting pair, "Those two."

"Over in the corner?"

"Yeah," I nodded and leaned back, smiling at Edward waiting for his report. The woman was tall and skinny with dirty blonde hair. She had sweet blue eyes and a perfect bone structure. She could've been a model for all I knew. The guy opposite her was tall also with dark hair. He had eyes that laughed and he wasn't too muscled, but he definitely had some. They both seemed intrigued by each other and were smiling widely. They looked to formal to be a couple, but they had the potential.

"Hm," Edward murmured quietly as he analyzed the two. He pinched his eyebrows together, creating subtle creases in his forehead and tightened his normally full lips in a straight line. He was absolutely endearing when he was thinking really hard about something.

"Well?" I sighed, pretending to be exasperated.

"_She_ thinks she's met the guy of her dreams. _He_ thinks he's found a good one-night stand," he answered easily.

"What?" I jerked my head in their direction again. They looked completely happy and engrossed in conversation. "You're crazy. They look perfect together. And at least he has the decency to look at her face and not her chest."

"Yeah, he's really good. He's even fooling you," Edward chuckled.

"Okay hot shot, how can you tell he's just being a smooth talker?" I smiled at Edward sweetly.

He rolled his eyes and pushed the sleeves on his shirt up, exposing his beautiful toned forearm. I bit my lip to stop a moan from escaping my lips. Could I really be so turned on by such little exposure? When it comes to Edward Cullen hell yes I could. Dammit, this man really was perfect. I was hyperly aware of Edward's every movement. He wasn't sitting right next to me, but he had his chair angled slightly towards me, giving us the closeness I craved. "Just watch him for a little bit. He's playing it sweet and charming, but he really just wants to get into her pants. Admittedly very slick and ruthless, but she's clearly falling for it," he nodded toward the pair.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I frowned, observing the man one more time.

Edward shook his head and pointed again, "No, watch."

"Fine," I sighed. The two continued their conversation and I couldn't help but feel a little bit like a stalker as we watched them. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary or jumped out to my apparently untrained eye. Suddenly two people walked by blocking my view of the pair. I shook my head in annoyance as I realized it was the man and woman we were observing earlier. "Unbelievable," I laughed quietly as the woman snaked her hand up his neck and winked at him.

"I told you. You should know better than to doubt me," Edward grinned confidently, turning into his arrogant self again. Only this time it didn't infuriate me as much as usual. It only made me want him more…

I rolled my eyes, "Oh, shut it. I'll give you that one." I turned to watch the pair in the corner again. They looked exactly like how I'd left them.

"You've yet to prove your little theory on those two," I said smugly.

"Oh, just wait," he took a sip of his drink and pulled his mouth into a crooked smile. He was so smooth and debonair, it really was no wonder women fell for him so easily. And how I fell for him so easily… I sighed knowing full well Edward deserved someone much better than me. I wasn't exactly "Mrs. Perfect" material.

"Ah, see," Edward said, bringing my attention back to the man and the woman. "He's just now realizing she's not an easy catch. See how he's constantly glancing away from her? He's looked at his watch at least twelve times in the last two minutes."

I leaned forward and watched with more awareness. The woman made some unknown comment and then began laughing. The man laughed with her at first and then when she wasn't looking, glanced at his watch as if he needed to be elsewhere. I pursed my lips, refusing to give in to the argument. "So? Maybe he wants to know the time."

"Always so hard-headed," Edward ridiculed. I crossed my arms and glared at him. "No, just watch. See how he keeps peeking at the woman behind him? She's giving him the _look_. Now all he needs is a distraction and he'll make his getaway."

The woman in question walked past the man and winked at him, strutting past his table and over to the bar. The man watched her subtly, still appearing to be engrossed in the pretty blue eyed woman's story. I was getting more and more disgusted as I continued to observe the natural act of human behavior before my eyes. Suddenly a group of women came up to their table and exclaimed greetings to the woman, obviously friends of some sort. They all seemed like they had had a few too many. The man couldn't have looked more relieved as he stalked away from the crowded table and made his way over to the bar, a few seats away from the other woman. The pretty blonde smiled at her friends and pretended to be excited, but I couldn't miss the hint of longing as she glanced around searching for the man who suddenly went M.I.A.

"Ugh, that makes me sick," I cringed turning away from the sad blonde woman. "You're too good at this. Do you enjoy sitting at random bars and just watching people?" I think _do you use this talent to get whichever woman you want for the night?_

"I don't enjoy it," Edward shrugged. "I'm just exceptionally _skilled_ at reading body language," he glanced sideways at me and winked.

"Ha ha," I replied sarcastically. I finished off my drink and then turned towards Edward. "Teach me," I said determinedly.

"Teach you _what_?" he quirked an eyebrow, as if he didn't already know.

"You know damn well what," I leaned forward, resolved on winning the argument this time.

"Why should I?"

"You don't want me to end up like her over there, do you?" I implored. He pinched his eyebrows in thought. "Please?"

We stared at each for a long moment. I could tell by the way his eyes were dancing that I just might win the battle this time. He sighed and shook his head. But it was in defeat rather than denial.

Edward motioned towards the bartender, "I'm going to need another whiskey."

-- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -

I woke up the next morning feeling more rested than I should have. Much to my great pleasure and even greater dismay, I had no Edward fantasies to wake me up. I yawned widely as I climbed out of bed, feeling my muscles stretch and my bones pop. We had stayed at the bar for a little longer as he taught me his "love lessons." I was still in shock he had even given in, and felt a surging sense of pride that I had somehow convinced him to do so. It was a very eye opening conversation. I don't know when I'd ever get to use his little hints, considering I was not quite ready to take Jake back and I could never use Edward's tricks on him.

I proceeded to get ready for the day, going through the dull daily monotonies. As I was running the lint roller along my black skirt I heard a quiet knock at my door. I knew it was Edward so I went to answer it, grabbing my bag and cell phone on the way.

"Hey do you think we could stop by—" I stopped mid-sentence as I turned away from my phone to look up at Edward.

"Hello," he smiled at me with heartbreaking charm.

"What the…"

Edward was dressed in dark blue jeans and a fitted button-up plaid shirt. His sleeves were rolled up carelessly (God did I love it when he did that) and he wore a pair of worn black converses. Businessman Edward was drop dead sexy, stirring up some of my naughtiest office fantasies. But casual Edward was the single most sweet and cute look on a guy. Mr. Perfect had style. He was stunningly gorgeous without even trying, he stood in my doorway with an effortless air of confidence. And he certainly pulled off this look much better than anyone else—shocker.

"Um," I looked down at my dressy top and skirt outfit. "Did I not get the memo? Is it casual Friday or something?"


	18. Constant Motion

**ATTENTION: I did not fall off the face of the earth. Instead I've been sick for the past few weeks :/ Yeah, I got the swine, for real. It was miserable. Never thought it'd happen to me, but of course with my luck it did. But now I'm back, getting caught up (somehow managed to not fail all of my classes, go me!), and feeling extremely guilty for not updating in six and a half million years…**

**But I promise you all, I will finish this story :) Whether or not anyone reads it, I will finish it.**

**This chapter doesn't have any huge plot changers, it's just a cute little chapter I needed to write to get back in the swing of things. Better chapters are yet to come, so stick around ;)**

**So if you have been waiting anxiously for the past millennium, or if you've given up hope in me, I apologize… On the bright side you can expect the next chapter up soon!**

**And so we move on with the story.**

* * *

Edward laughed, "It's been a rough week. I figured you needed a break. Do a little sightseeing."

I smiled up at the clear blue sky peeping out from behind the tall jagged frames of Chicago's many skyscrapers. It was a crisp and cool November morning and the streets were already swimming with traffic and people making the daily commute to work and school. There was an electrifying buzz in the air, probably having to do with the natural excitement Fridays bring. "You are unbelievable," I sighed breathlessly struggling to keep up with his fast pace, "How did you even manage to pull this off? What about all those presentations and conferences and—"

"Don't worry about it," his smooth voice interrupted me. "I worked my magic and took care of it," he winked.

"Oh, no, someone might be stealing my position as world's best employee. You're not going to get a new assistant are you?" I said in faux horror.

His lips twitched slightly and then he laughed sarcastically, "Yeah, you better up your game or I just might have to replace you."

I smiled to myself, seeing Edward be so playful and laid back was mindboggling. I felt like I was in some kind of strange alternate universe. And to top it all off, we were dressed so casually in jeans and sneakers. I never thought I'd see the day when Edward would be so candid around me. I found myself wondering what people would think when they saw us walking the streets of Chicago. A couple? Brother and sister? Either story would be highly unbelievable considering the fact Edward and I were on complete opposite ends of the spectrum as far as our looks went.

"So, what are we going to do with this day free of work?"

Edward shrugged and ran a hand through his bronze locks precariously before subtly stuffing both his hands into his jean pockets, something he did habitually when he was hiding something. I was starting to notice every little detail about him, which was both fascinating and frightening. "I don't really have anything planned. Except at five this evening, otherwise, you're the tourist. What do _you_ want to do?"

I pursed my lips suspiciously. "What's at five?" I asked.

He smiled crookedly and shook his head, "Nothing."

I exhaled loudly, knowing he would never tell me his little secret, and stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. A few people bumped into me and gave me disgruntled looks and murmurs. Edward walked past me at first without realizing it and then turned around a few steps ahead to give me a quizzical look. "I'm the newbie. You're supposed to be my tour guide. I'm letting you do your job," I smiled innocently up at him.

Edward rolled his eyes and went back to grab my arm. The warm feel of his fingers, even through my layers of clothes, wasn't unfamiliar, but it still sent tingles up and down my spine. "Alright, then let's get this over with," he chuckled sarcastically.

* * *

"Is it _supposed_ to be a bean?" I laughed at our distorted reflections in the mirrored surface of the giant sculpture.

"Well, it's real name is Cloud Gate, but it has been unofficially dubbed 'The Bean' by us locals, for obvious reasons," Edward smiled back at me in the reflection. I shook my head and continued to walk out from underneath the sculpture. On the other side of the bean shaped structure, the city skyline was reflected back to us in a curvy, whimsical, and breathtaking image. The sky was an amazingly clear cloudless blue, which was quite a relief for mid-fall. Millennium Park wasn't crowded but there was still quite a bit of people idly wandering around.

"Okay, a giant bean. What else you got for me?" I crossed my arms and smiled expectantly.

Edward rolled his eyes at me, "What, is my tour not meeting your expectations? I didn't know we were being judged."

I glared at him and then smirked, "I can't give a true review until I get to try some of the food."

"Is that so?" he pursed his perfectly full lips. I couldn't help but remember the night that we had kissed, whether intentional or not. Who knew kissing someone could be so much—for lack of better words—fun. Admittedly I was pretty hammered at the time, but some part of me remembered even the minor details of that moment and I clung to it desperately. When it came to Edward, that's all I was hoping for. Just one more kiss. I knew no matter how much I was dying to see this man naked I could never get much further than a simple kiss. Maybe I had already reached the end of my luck, why bother with even hoping for any more? "So where would you like to go for lunch?" Edward's musical voice interrupted my thoughts.

I shrugged, "How am I supposed to know? _You_ are my tour guide."

"Well how can I pick where to take you if you don't give me an idea of what you want?" Edward spoke in a playfully stern matter, crossing his arms—which defined his muscles oh so subtly.

I scoffed, "Jeez, I'm sorry I don't know what my options are."

"You can be awfully picky sometimes, I just want to narrow it down now for the sake of my own personal safety and sanity."

"I don't know. I'm not in the mood for anything in particular. Won't you just pick something?" I sighed.

We continued like this for quite awhile and pretty soon we are in full banter mode, just the sort of thing I witness couples doing from time to time in public. In the middle of our small argument I heard a quiet cough and felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. I turned to the person with the best polite face I could muster. "Can I help you?" I seethed with as much courtesy as possible.

A short dark haired man with smiling eyes and a wide toothy grin looked from Edward to me and then waved his hands in apology, "I'm sorry! I don't mean to interrupt anything, but can I take a picture of you two?"

Edward and I exchanged strange looks before turning back to the oddly happy man before us.

Edward cleared his throat, "May I ask, _why_ exactly would you like to photograph us?"

The man shrugged and rolled his expensive looking camera from one hand to the other. "Well, I'm out here trying to promote my new studio, I'm a photographer. I already took a few candid shots but my specialty is action. And eh, I don't know. I guess I like the vibe you two have." He gestured behind him and I could see a booth set up with high-tech and expensive looking photography equipment and computers.

"Oh? What kind of vibe?" I blinked inquiringly.

He laughed and shook his head, "I don't know, uh, like a fresh young couple—newlyweds or something."

I blushed slightly and looked away, and Edward cleared his throat loudly. I was sort of flattered—did he really think we were a couple?—but mostly embarrassed for Edward's sake. "Hey, come on! Don't be shy. You guys are cute!" The man patted us on the shoulders and led us closer to the giant bean.

"What—"

"Come on just stand right here," he interrupted me and then set us up in front of the bright silvery sculpture. I looked up at Edward inquiringly, but he just had a silly grin on his face and shook his head as if to say, "Let's get this over with so this guy can leave us alone." I knew we weren't a couple, but Edward didn't deny it or correct the man, and that fact alone made me shiver with girly satisfaction.

The short man stepped back a few feet and pointed his camera at us. "Alright, do something."

"Like what?" Edward and I said in unison.

He sighed and peeped over his camera, "I told you, my specialty is action shots."

"So," I ventured, "What, like a jumping picture?"

"That's it exactly! Yeah, go ahead. On three," he positioned his camera at us again.

"Is this guy crazy?" Edward murmured under his breath.

I laughed, "No, no, this'll be fun trust me. Just take that stick out of your butt for one minute, please?"

The man began to count and Edward and I readied ourselves for the shot. By the time he was done snapping a few photos, Edward and I were grinning and laughing like a couple of kids at an amusement park. "Hey, you guys are naturals. I might use a few shots on my website. You know what, I'll even give you one free of charge, what do you say?" the man quirked his eyebrows at us.

Edward raised a brow and grinned, "Sure." He nodded eagerly in response and motioned us over to his booth.

"Well," Edward huffed, "That was…"

"Fun? Like I said it would be?" I smirked up at him.

He rolled his eyes at me. He hated it when I rubbed things in his face. "Alright, here's your picture, and here's my card. Spread the word," the short man popped out of nowhere and winked as he handed me everything.

"Thanks…" I chuckled then scanned the card for a name, "Joe."

Joe saluted us and walked away. I couldn't help but laugh to myself at how well his personality suited his name. He was quite a character. I squinted at the small picture in my hands and couldn't hold back the smile that began to stretch my face. Edward and I were mid-air with our legs kicked underneath us, my dark brown hair wildly splayed everywhere, and we both had our arms thrown up recklessly with goofy open-mouthed smiles plastered on our faces. Encompassing us was the curved reflection of the city, passersby, and the cool blue sky as the background. Despite our carefree and stupid expressions, the photography really was spectacular, playing up the vivid colors and futuristic vibe. I had to give Joe his credit. "This is so awesome," I giggled, choosing to ignore my poorly worded statement.

Edward chuckled, "Yeah, and look at your hair."

"Shut it."

"Okay okay, now shall we have lunch?"

I stared at the picture for a moment longer, savoring the one lighthearted image of Edward I would keep engraved in my mind forever, before turning to look up at Edward in all his bronze-haired-crooked-smile glory. "Oh, so you've made a decision you think you won't regret? You don't think I'm going to eat you alive for it?"

He pursed his lips and rubbed his chin in mock thought, "Hm, well I figure either way I'm going to lose, so let's just get this over with."

I winked up at him, "You learn quickly, young grasshopper."

* * *

We decided to take the train out, which was a surreal and rattling experience. I tried to act cool and collected as if I were a local rather than some wide-eyed tourist—and of course, I found myself nearly flinging my body onto the laps of a few unsuspecting college students whenever the train jolted forward. I earned a few puzzled glances and a stifled laugh from Edward with that stunt.

He took me to a small locally owned gyro shop just west out of the downtown area for lunch. I wondered how a wealthy and successful business man could wander out so far from the hub of Chicago, but he explained that his first real apartment was close by before I could ask him about it. He told me stories of when he didn't know how to use a kitchen and would eat out every night and this little shop was one of his favorites. Being a natural cook I teased him about it, but he brushed it off saying he could now make a home cooked meal blindfolded. I didn't doubt it. Little details of Edward's life always seemed to fascinate me, no matter how insignificant or boring they probably were in reality. I loved it and ate it all up like a little kid with sugar. I wondered if Edward felt the same with me and all the trivial things I did and said. I then realized I often found myself just "wondering" about anything that had to do with the whole Edward situation. We could never be real or solid. With us, everything was always hanging in the air—so fragile and susceptible.

And yet, it was all there. There was that connection, the kind that gives you a fluttering sensation and makes you see sparks and makes you want to hum for no apparent reason when you're walking down the street. We had it all going for us, except for the fact that everything was going against us. He's too good for me, he could do so much better, he's my boss... _He is my boss._

After lunch Edward had me walking out and about doing all the touristy things. From riding up to the top of Sears Tower, forcing me to go into the women's restroom in the John Hancock Center (which made no sense to me until I saw the spectacular aerial view of the city from the glass wall) to strolling Michigan Avenue, Navy Pier, and Lincoln Park, I didn't know if he was intentionally trying to wear me down or if he was just really eager for me to see _everything._

When I finally had the chance to sit down and enjoy my tin from Garrett Popcorn—which Edward bought for me insisting I at least try a bite—it was nearly five and Edward practically dragged me away from the park bench before my butt could even touch it.

"Come on, it's almost five," he urged as his warm hand gripped my wrist and haul me down the side walk.

"Ouch, loosen up will you? I'm going as fast as I can," I pouted.

He glanced down at his hand and let his hold on me slacken a bit. "Sorry. I guess I just lost track of time. Let's go."

I gave up and let him lead me down the streets of Chicago. The air was becoming slightly chillier as evening began to set and the cool wind hitting my face made my cheeks turn pink. The sky was still blue but the sun sat lower than before, still shining but with less light. All in all it was a fairly nice fall evening and yet all I could concentrate on was Edward's warm fingers around my wrist. Before I even could decipher where we were, Edward had taken me all the way to the front steps of the Art Institute.

"Oh," I breathed, smiling genuinely up at Edward. "I can't believe it, we're going? You really meant it?"

"What, did you think I was lying? I'm truly offended you would believe such a thing," he poked back sarcastically and took the lead up the staircase. I was too thrilled to think of a witty comeback and followed him with wide eager eyes.

Inside, the Institute was buzzing with people, their voices echoing off the hollowed marble interior. For some reason the loud volume didn't bother me so much. I actually felt like I preferred it to silence which was odd considering it was an art museum—after all, isn't it popular belief that art aficionados prefer to indulge and contemplate works in silence? I liked the fact that the place was bustling and busy, it made the experience seem more real.

"Wow, is something special going on today?" I asked offhandedly.

Edward smirked and dragged me towards the back, "You could say that. I have a surprise for you."

I fought back a smile and let him be the diligent guide. I could tell he was as enthused as I should've been at the moment. It's not that I wasn't excited; I was just too distracted by the trembling flutters in the pit of my stomach. We ended up at a hidden door in the corner with a number keypad on it. Edward gave me a wary look and I rolled my eyes and looked away exaggeratedly. I heard him punch in the code and the whirling of gears, indicating the door was unlocked.

"Through here," Edward looked back at me eagerly.

I looked around nervously before ducking in the door behind him. "Are we even allowed back here? I don't want to get in trouble."

"Yes," Edward scoffed in mock disbelief, "Just trust me."

"Of course," I sighed. "Only _you_ would have permission to go sneaking around art museums."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he chuckled.

I gave him a meaningful look, "You have connections everywhere."

"Edward, son, I'm glad you could make it!" A loud voice boomed from down the hall. I turned towards the sound, startled by its piercing cheerfulness. The only other voice I know that could rival it would be Emmett's. Then again, I had a feeling Emmett did it with less than good intentions, such as to annoy everyone within a five mile radius.

"Mr. Stevens, how are you?" Edward smiled widely at the man and they shared a quick manly hug. He was slightly shorter than Edward with wisps of gray strands in his dark brown hair and a clean shaven face. He had a wide frame, square jaw, and sparkling blue eyes almost as pretty as Edward's emerald eyes—almost. His smile was strong and lighthearted, creating laugh lines around his eyes. He was one of those lucky men who aged well.

"Oh, come now Edward, how many times do I have to tell you? Call me Mark. You make me feel so old with all this 'mister' business," he laughed heartily.

"Okay, okay, if you insist_ Mark_," Edward threw his hands up in surrender. "And I'm being rude. This is Bella Swan. Bella, this is an extremely close family friend, Mark Stevens. He's one of the curators and executives."

I extended my hand and he shook it gently, "Well, Edward, you certainly have a knack for picking up beautiful women."

Impressed and completely overtaken by flattery, I just shook my head and lowered my gaze, feeling my cheeks begin to burn. Edward shrugged nonchalantly and smirked in the cutest way. He was almost smug about it, as if he was agreeing but at the same time showing off. I was absolutely thrilled.

"Well, Mark, don't you have something to show Bella?" Edward glanced up at him and then shifted his eyes to me, smiling slyly before giving me a wink.

"Oh! Yes, yes. Come on Bella, you'll really enjoy this," Mark said excitedly, motioning me toward him. I gave Edward a questioning look. He just kept smiling at me, his eyes twinkling with delight.

"I'll meet up with you two in about, oh, say half an hour?" Edward spoke up from behind us.

I stopped and turned around quickly. "Where are you going?" I asked trying not to let the desperation I was feeling seep into my voice.

He had already begun to back away as he shrugged and replied, "Oh, I just have a quick errand to run. Don't worry, I'll be back. You're in good hands."

"But—" I began.

Edward interrupted me, "Mark is going to be taking you on a personal tour of the new exhibit." He smiled genuinely at me, making my heart flutter. I wanted to refuse, tell him that I wasn't anyone special and didn't deserve such an honor, but I just couldn't. Not when he was looking so damn gorgeous with that charming smile of his. And with that, Edward left, leaving Mark and I to explore the museum.

"You must be something special," Mark nudged me.

"What do you mean?" I asked. He shook his head and gestured towards the exhibit.

At first I was a little disappointed with Edward's departure. I had wanted to share the experience with him, although he obviously didn't share that desire. But the discontent was washed away completely when Mark actually started my "personal tour." I was completely engrossed, clinging to every fact and word he spit out. He took me through the new exhibit, which was a collection of ancient Southeast Asian artwork and artifacts, and I shared with him my own personal knowledge—he seemed to be impressed with my background in arts. Then he left me to explore the rest of the museum myself, which I didn't mind so much. Time alone could never do any harm. I just wished Edward was with me. And that thought alone scared the shit out of me… It was something I definitely shouldn't have been thinking.

The new exhibit had finally opened to the public and I was alone in the Impressionist gallery. It was mostly quiet where I was. There was just a muted buzz of voices and excitement coming from some other wing in the Institute. I was studying a painting by Degas—famous for the recurring theme of dance in his works—depicting a young dancer. She had a subtle elegance, despite the vibrant and dazzling colors of the painting.

"Miss me?" Edward's smooth voice tickled my neck suddenly, making me jump.

I gasped and spun around to face him. "What the hell," I muttered angrily, hitting him playfully with the pamphlet in my hand.

Edward chuckled, "What? Did I scare you?"

"Not at all, you just gave me a heart attack, don't worry," I rolled my eyes sarcastically, turning my back to him again so I could bite back the smile that was bursting to form.

"Aw," he cooed playfully, "I'm sorry grandma, I'll be more careful around your delicate heart. Now, I'd hate to interrupt your fun, but we have to go, now."

I turned back to face him and sighed, "I can't relax for one minute today, can I?"


End file.
